stretch 1 of 4

stretch

2 of 4

verb (1)

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

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2
as in to pull
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure I stretched a back muscle, and the pain is killing me

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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

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4
5
as in to tighten
to draw tight if the canvas isn't properly stretched over the frame, there will be sagging over time

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stretch

3 of 4

adjective

stretch (out)

4 of 4

verb (2)

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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stretch
Noun
Cuomo, trailing significantly in the polls, has increasingly sought to play on voters’ fears as the race enters the final stretch. New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 Clowns, aliens and the mysteries of Denver Airport Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway – yes, it’s officially called that – runs through one of the most remote and desolate stretches of the United States. Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
Also consider buying staple items that stretch meals, such as rice and beans, or plan for 'one dish' meals that are filling, such as spaghetti and meat sauce, chili, soups, or casseroles. Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025 Missourians love their Katy Trail State Park, the former railroad track turned pancake-flat trail stretches some 240 miles across the state, skirting the river, winding through farmlands, and passing through other small towns. Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
From adjoining lockers to neighboring spots in stretch lines, the two appear to have quickly developed a kinship. Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 Give emerging leaders real authority quickly by assigning stretch tasks that carry visible stakes. Ruth Umoh, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
  • This year, Spirit Halloween is extending over 20 contracts to support the expansion of Spirit Christmas, now entering its second year.
    Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Arcade said that as Chairman, Cory will lead the expansion of The Sidemen’s activities.
    Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This heater has two heat settings and an oscillating base so heat is evenly distributed throughout your space.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Ideal locations range between 5,000 to 50,000 square feet of sales floor space.
    Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Other companies, such as BlackSky and Maxar, are providing their own electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) imagery—that is, images in the visible and infrared light spectrums—commercially.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Critics will predictably argue that those two positions are inherently linked; on the opposite side of the political spectrum, oil and gas partisans could point to Gates’ essay as proof that climate hysteria was misguided all along and that fossil use should continue unimpeded.
    Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That distance is equivalent to about 1 percent of the distance from Earth to the Sun.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Breathing bridge with hip lift Begin on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor, hip-distance apart, holding a foam yoga block or rolled towel between your knees.
    Dana Santas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The sneakers are designed with a lightweight EVA midsole for flexible support and a rubber outsole that boosts durability.
    Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
  • If your schedule is flexible, look at departures on weekdays, especially early and mid-week.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • At the Wagner Ranch property, the trust would raise funds — mostly through private donations, the trust said — to extensively restore and maintain the expanse with an eye to protecting the habitat-rich landscape.
    Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2025
  • But hurricane hunters can fly only so many missions, and most storms develop in places that aircraft can’t safely reach, such as over vast ocean expanses.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Most regulars have known this was coming for a while now.
    Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Undoubtedly, the loss will sting for a while, but Velin is proud of what the Panthers showed.
    Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The Blue Jackets could not solve Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson until midway through the third period, watching several prime scoring chances get erased by Thompson’s glove and others clang off the posts from close range.
    Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The group’s charitable trust claims to have donated funds worth $14 million to help Cambodians in a range of initiatives.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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