as in enlarged
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1
as in exaggerated
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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4
as in tried
to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress
your whining is stretching my patience to the limit
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Recent Examples of stretched
Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
The stretched body improves aerodynamics while giving the car a sleek, understated appearance.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
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
Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
In downhill, super-G and giant slalom, the gates are two poles with a nylon panel stretched between them.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Reverberations of the scandal have stretched beyond the United States, impacting two European royal families and several European governments.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026
The Punjab provincial government required motorbike riders to install a safety rod between their handlebars to keep kite strings stretched across roads from getting tangled around their necks — a past cause of injury and death.
—Betsy Joles, NPR, 14 Feb. 2026
People can’t solve problems or innovate when they are burnt out and stretched thin.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
But the film ultimately feels too stretched out for its own good, losing its way in a plethora of characters and details.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
The check stretched beyond an hour.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
With supply stretched, these resources become more precious, and more expensive, for other businesses in the areas surrounding data center construction, according to Fordham University economics professor Marc Conte.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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
The stretched body improves aerodynamics while giving the car a sleek, understated appearance.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
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
Nancy Guthrie The search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has now stretched into a third week after she was abducted from her Arizona home.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
In downhill, super-G and giant slalom, the gates are two poles with a nylon panel stretched between them.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Reverberations of the scandal have stretched beyond the United States, impacting two European royal families and several European governments.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026
The Punjab provincial government required motorbike riders to install a safety rod between their handlebars to keep kite strings stretched across roads from getting tangled around their necks — a past cause of injury and death.
—Betsy Joles, NPR, 14 Feb. 2026
People can’t solve problems or innovate when they are burnt out and stretched thin.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
But the film ultimately feels too stretched out for its own good, losing its way in a plethora of characters and details.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
The check stretched beyond an hour.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
With supply stretched, these resources become more precious, and more expensive, for other businesses in the areas surrounding data center construction, according to Fordham University economics professor Marc Conte.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretched
Adjective
-
Benign conditions like an enlarged prostate, prostatitis (inflammation), recent ejaculation, vigorous exercise or even a long bike ride can temporarily push your PSA up.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
During Coulier's six-month checkup and PET scans, doctors discovered a flare-up had returned as an enlarged tumor.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Schmidt Automotive Research said Chinese growth was exaggerated by special conditions in the second half of 2025 but will still be formidable.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In some cases, China has exaggerated its actual contributions, sowing mistrust about its agenda.—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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At one point, the individual appears to tilt their head away from a doorbell camera, hold a flashlight in their mouth and attempt to cover the lens with a gloved hand and what looked like part of a plant pulled from the yard.—
Bradford Betz , Matt Finn,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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Wills pulled together a men’s fashion show with local and national celebrities, followed by dinner, dancing and a movie.—
Mark Woolsey,
AJC.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Holding periods across buyout funds have lengthened, and many assets remain fundamentally strong but difficult to exit at acceptable valuations.—
Sunaina Sinha Haldea,
Fortune,
14 Feb. 2026
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While that was to be only three weeks, Mohammadi’s time out of prison lengthened, possibly as activists and Western powers pushed Iran to keep her free.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Russian government has tried to block Telegram before, including in 2018.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
And as referenced above, the president tried to overturn the 2020 election.—
David M. Drucker,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And while last year’s budget bill tightened eligibility checks, the goal should’ve been stopping bad behavior, not penalizing consumers.—
Bloomberg Opinion,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
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Since then, Cornyn’s TV blitz has defined Paxton as a diminished candidate dogged by ethics questions, a move that has tightened the contest in pre-primary polls.—
Joseph Morton,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The pair has a slightly more vintage feel, with a sporty, layered panel construction and comfortable padded insoles.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
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The under-3 set can play in a padded area or roll around in a ball pit at Tot*Spot.—
Elena Donovan Mauer,
Parents,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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It was originally supposed to expire in 2021 but was extended for five more years.—
VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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Georgia Southern extended its lead to as much as 10 in the fourth before a 3-pointer from Texas State guard Deja Jones cut the deficit to five.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretched. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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