1
as in expansion
a wide space or area
a narrow stretch of beach below the cliffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in space
an indefinite but usually short period of time
there was a cardinal at our bird feeder for a short stretch last spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
4
as in distance
the space or amount of space between two points, lines, surfaces, or objects
the longest stretch of the drive without any place to get gas
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to exaggerate
to add to the interest of by including made-up details
it was stretching the truth to say she'd been in the movies: she was once an extra whose scene was cut in the final version
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to lengthen
to make longer
the time it would take to fix the car got stretched from three hours to two days when the part we needed had to be ordered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to try
to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress
your whining is stretching my patience to the limit
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in flexible
able to revert to original size and shape after being stretched, squeezed, or twisted
stretch fabrics that don't wrinkle or sag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to expand
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area
you can't stretch out your legs to the point where you're blocking the aisle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stretch
Matt Roy, Boston Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Win just one of those, and, wow, MU would be entering the final four-game stretch in contention for the 12-team College Football Playoff.
—Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2025
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Redrawn in 2021, the 7th District includes Clarksville and parts of North and West Nashville and stretches down to the Alabama border.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Nov. 2025
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
These wrinkle-resistant, bi-stretch pants look tailored enough for the office yet feel relaxed enough for a long flight.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Noun
That ignited a crazy stretch that saw three touchdowns on five plays.
—Matt Roy, Boston Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Win just one of those, and, wow, MU would be entering the final four-game stretch in contention for the 12-team College Football Playoff.
—Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
With child care now costing costing more than many college degrees and more than rent in some major cities, parents are finding finances stretched.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Redrawn in 2021, the 7th District includes Clarksville and parts of North and West Nashville and stretches down to the Alabama border.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
The non-stretch jean has a dry indigo wash and features curved legs with an extra seam for structure and oversized back pockets.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
These wrinkle-resistant, bi-stretch pants look tailored enough for the office yet feel relaxed enough for a long flight.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
-
The federal government pays 90% of the costs of Idaho’s Medicaid expansion, which as of early 2025 provided access to care for about 90,000 lower-income Idaho residents who earn too much to qualify for standard Medicaid but not enough for private insurance discounts.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Washington’s neutrality preserved the republic’s future, enabling economic expansion under the funding system Hamilton designed, territorial growth through the Louisiana Purchase and beyond, and eventual emergence as a great power capable of tipping global balances.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
David Bowie personally appears on the cover of 24 of his solo albums, depicting himself as a bowl-cut heartthrob, an androgynous blond, a space alien in human disguise, a cigarette-smoking lounge creature, a sideways pair of legs, and an oddly undersized boxer.—
Armin Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Whether commuting for work or running errands, Dana is a carryall with ample space for essentials (think phone, keys, wallet, and sunglasses), along with a 13-inch laptop, water bottle, makeup, portable charger, lightweight jacket, snacks, and a notebook.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Despite the 12-day Israeli war on Iran last summer, figures on all sides of the political spectrum came together in a rare show of unity, denouncing Israel for striking their country.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
-
On the other end of the style spectrum, Lily Collins has shown how elevated mom jeans can be, wearing mom jeans with black stilettos and a chunky belt.—
Aaron Royce,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Presidents before Roosevelt largely kept their distance from the press and only occasionally granted interviews.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Keep a distance from high profile vehicles such as trucks, buses and vehicles towing trailers.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
These include electric vehicles with extended driving ranges, large-scale renewable energy storage systems that can balance intermittent solar and wind power, and lightweight, flexible power sources for portable and wearable electronics.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Airlines have been alerting customers whose flights are canceled and offering flexible rebooking and refund options to other travelers headed to those 40 airports.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Large expanses of seats were unused during the third-bottom home side’s 2-1 defeat to Forest, who are in 17th place, on Tuesday.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Trudging across six lanes of highway, and expanses of parking lot, to reach Soldier Field never had many fans, but there is zero romance in this new spot.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
With Jennings and Kittle back in the lineup for this game, the Niners should be able to move the ball well enough to keep this one close for a while.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
People bristle at the word procedural, because for a while that had negative connotations to it.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
These include electric vehicles with extended driving ranges, large-scale renewable energy storage systems that can balance intermittent solar and wind power, and lightweight, flexible power sources for portable and wearable electronics.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The Chinese retailer, known for its range of cheap ultra-fast-fashion clothing and criticisms of its labor and environmental practices, is nestled on the sixth floor of a more than century-old building in Paris, a city famous for high-end fashion and a recent green push.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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