stretched 1 of 2

Definition of stretchednext

stretched

2 of 2

verb

past tense of stretch
1
2
as in pulled
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure I stretched a back muscle, and the pain is killing me

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in lengthened
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
5
as in tightened
to draw tight if the canvas isn't properly stretched over the frame, there will be sagging over time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 stretched
Adjective
Once activated, the Fe-SMA bars aim to shrink back to their pre-stretched shape. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 19 Feb. 2026 It’s formulated with calcium to promote new cell growth, adenosine to fill in wrinkles, collagen to maintain your skin’s density and thickness, elastin to restore stretched skin, and Vitamin D for rejuvenation. Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026 America’s health care system is straining under the twin pressures of an aging population and a stretched pool of health care providers. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025 Despite this pullback, the stock still trades at a stretched nine times trailing revenue—well above its historical average of three times. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
Russell Lansford / Imagn Images On Saturday, a broken line of showers and thunderstorms stretched from the Gulf through the Carolinas. Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 3 May 2026 The main event was Musk’s testimony, which stretched over the course of three days, wrapping up on Thursday. Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 2 May 2026 Another excavator arrived, working from a temporary construction road that stretched into the water, and nudged its bucket against the whale in an effort to jostle the animal free. Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026 The game stretched into extra innings. Peter Folan, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026 After Iwo Jima, Silberman fought in the Battle of Okinawa, a brutal campaign that was initially expected to last two weeks but stretched to 82 days. Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026 Hawks guard Dyson Daniels and Knicks center Mitchell Robinson were both ejected after a fight broke out in the second quarter when New York had stretched its lead to 50 points. Rashad Williams, CBS News, 1 May 2026 The project’s cost has also increased significantly, rising by nearly $100 million from earlier estimates as work stretched into a fifth year. Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026 The 2026 draft footprint stretched across Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium (still Heinz Field in the hearts of civilized people) and by the end of the weekend, the city had hosted one of the biggest football parties in human history. Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretched
Adjective
  • Reportedly, this expansion is supported by hardware upgrades, including a more powerful, multi-stage Long March 5B rocket with an enlarged payload fairing.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 May 2026
  • Buckingham Palace announced in February 2024 that Charles had a form of cancer, discovered after a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate.
    Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • City officials say telecom companies have exaggerated the impact of that city law.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Goldman Sachs’ David Mericle suggests this reading has perhaps been exaggerated.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • When agents approached, Marx ran, then pulled a handgun from his waistband while fleeing, according to a federal affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
  • The loose, stretchy fit is comfortable enough for all-day sightseeing yet still looks pulled together for dinner reservations.
    Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • Osceola County, currently contained entirely within District 9, will be chopped into two districts despite 9 being lengthened and extended well to the south.
    Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
  • The one concern with Mesidor are the injury issues that lengthened his stay in the college ranks to six years.
    Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Epstein’s cellmate told officers Epstein tried to hang himself.
    Tom Winter, NBC news, 7 May 2026
  • Brown tried Jeremy Sochan for one minute at center.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • The massacre roiled Australia, where serious gun crime has been rare since controls were tightened after a mass shooting in Tasmania 30 years ago.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 May 2026
  • The hearings follow a report urging gun reform The massacre roiled Australia, where serious gun crime has been rare since controls were tightened after a mass shooting in Tasmania 30 years ago.
    Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Adjective
  • The blue padded insole is hot-stamped with the house’s signature in gold.
    Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 6 May 2026
  • Suspect Cole Tomas Allen was confined to a padded cell with constant lighting and repeatedly strip-searched; the judge noted the jail houses convicted killers without such restrictions.
    Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2026
Verb
  • This and that With his double, Lopez extended his hit streak to nine games.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
  • Fitbit users who haven’t migrated their data to a Google account by May 19 will no longer be able to access the platform, a deadline that was extended from February.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretched. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

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