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
Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
At his dining-room table, in a new home in a scraggly stretch of New Orleans’s Seventh Ward, Rob toggled between Facebook and WhatsApp on both his phone and laptop.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Keyla Vasconcellos, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
The company focuses solely on the medical linen industry, which also includes uniform rental, its market stretching from Maine to northern Delaware.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 5 Mar. 2026
The Tryn Double-breasted Blazer is crafted from a drapey, stretch fabric that resembles the off-duty look Aritzia is known for (but at a way lower price).
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Noun
Hard sci-fi, meanwhile, leans into the fact that life evolving on other planets, under different conditions, and across different stretches of time will almost certainly take on forms so different from ours that comprehending them would be like imagining a new color.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
At his dining-room table, in a new home in a scraggly stretch of New Orleans’s Seventh Ward, Rob toggled between Facebook and WhatsApp on both his phone and laptop.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
Fall brings the city's signature food events, including the Farm-to-Fork Festival and the elusive Tower Bridge Dinner, a communal meal stretching across the bridge with seats awarded through a highly competitive lottery.
—Keyla Vasconcellos, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
The company focuses solely on the medical linen industry, which also includes uniform rental, its market stretching from Maine to northern Delaware.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The researchers, however, did not find meaningful improvements in post-exercise muscle recovery, soreness or tendon mechanical properties (strength, springiness and stretch resistance).
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 5 Mar. 2026
The Tryn Double-breasted Blazer is crafted from a drapey, stretch fabric that resembles the off-duty look Aritzia is known for (but at a way lower price).
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
-
Over the past few of years, the surge in artificial intelligence fueled by apps, websites and other tech has created the need for the rapid expansion of massive data centers to handle the demand.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Part of the money will also go toward expansion of Philander Smith's health education facilities, including space for soon-to-be radiologists and phlebotomists.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The question box includes a space for your name, but this is optional.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Americans’ confidence in the space program – and its own ingenuity – was shattered.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On the technical end of the spectrum, that includes rebounding.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Several speakers picked up on Talarico’s campaign theme of the fight being between top versus bottom rather than the left-right political spectrum.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The lower-density regions around them, even from quite a distance away, don’t stand a chance.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The street is within a few minutes’ walking distance of the childhood homes of both McCartney and fellow Beatle George Harrison.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
SMAs provide reliable thermal recovery, while SMPs offer flexible, stimulus-responsive deformation.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
-
That option also would provide flexibility with temporary closures, without having to close all of Prospect Avenue, and would implement unique pavers and hardscaping to the Prospect Avenue slip lane to create a flexible shared space.—
Chuck Fieldman,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Across the glassy expanse, postcard-perfect Bellagio stretches into view, as ferries glide hypnotically back and forth between the shores.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
-
About themselves, about the infinite expanse of creativity, about the power of music to cross borders, outlast wars, span centuries and still inspire.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Oregon kept up for a while with 9-of-11 shooting in the first quarter.—
Jim Vertuno,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s divorce has already been finalized, and the two have been living separate lives for a while.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The development of platinum-free fuel cells could have a wide range of benefits.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Some of the defendants had been members of the Socialist Rifle Association, a leftist gun group, and held gun-range outings.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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