Synonyms of stretched

stretched 1 of 2

adjective

as in enlarged

Related Words

• enlarged
• padded
• magnified
• embellished
• exaggerated
• elaborated
• inflated
• embroidered
• overstated
• overplayed
• overdrawn
• overemphasized
• bloated
• overblown
• overdone
• hyperbolized
• hyped-up
• outsize
• unreasonable
• unreal
• unrealistic
• grandiose
• overweening
• preposterous

Dissimilar Words

• reasonable
• realistic

stretched

2 of 2

verb

past tense of stretch

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exaggerated
• padded
• expanded
• colored
• enhanced
• embroidered
• embellished
• hyperbolized
• magnified
• elaborated (on)
• satirized
• emphasized
• stressed
• amplified
• enlarged (on or upon)
• hedged
• fleshed (out)
• overemphasized
• overstated
• gussied up
• caricatured
• played up
• overplayed
• dressed up
• fudged
• overdid
• overdrew

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• minimized
• understated
• belittled
• played down

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

• pulled
• damaged
• strained
• weakened
• bruised
• hurt
• wrenched
• racked
• taxed
• impaired
• battered
• wounded
• tore
• frayed
• harmed
• crippled
• mutilated
• mangled
• lamed

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

• lengthened
• extended
• increased
• prolonged
• elongated
• expanded
• outstretched
• dragged (out)
• enlarged
• protracted
• drew out
• thinned
• amplified
• attenuated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cut
• shortened
• reduced
• curtailed
• decreased
• diminished
• lessened
• cut back
• abbreviated
• abridged
• thickened

4

as in tried

to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress

your whining is stretching my patience to the limit

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tried
• pushed
• strained
• tested
• taxed
• got (to)
• annoyed
• bothered
• irritated
• demanded
• pressured
• pained
• harassed
• pressed
• importuned
• aggravated
• exasperated
• exacted
• gnawed (at)
• pestered
• vexed
• harried
• irked
• nettled
• riled
• grated
• peeved
• hassled
• agitated
• galled
• spited

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

• tightened
• tensed
• tautened
• strained
• lengthened
• elongated
• extended
• constricted
• cinched

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loosened
• slackened
• relaxed
• eased
• slacked

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stretched

Adjective

This feed-in jumbo braid updo on Teyonah Parris is achieved by adding a lot of pre-stretched braiding hair when creating the cornrows. — Omenaa Boakye, InStyle, 19 July 2026

But the case shapes alone tell you Samsung isn’t treating the Wide as a stretched version of the Ultra. — Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Wiley often wears her hair in a stretched state, combing through her gray coils with a blow dryer before doing a braid-out. — Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 29 May 2026

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

Verb

The Paris police requested the change because police and security resources are stretched thin due to mass protests, ongoing civil unrest, and France's first NFL game happening in the region, per multiple reports. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Meanwhile, your star rep’s calendar is full, her manager is stretched thin, and the next batch of recruits needs coaching. — Anis Bennaceur, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Moderators said the idea took off and stretched far beyond Philadelphia. — Kerri Corrado, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Parton’s love of butterflies stretched for decades and extended beyond her music to her fashion and collaborations. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

And so, even breakfast stretched into early afternoon, enjoyed as a brief storm swept over the pool, and bookended with mimosas. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026

According to the researchers, inflation stretched tiny quantum fluctuations across vast distances in the early universe. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026

But the rubber band may be stretched too far, potentially priming stocks for a rebound. — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026

The United States today has comparably stretched global military commitments amid ballooning social costs at home. — Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026