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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in enlarged
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stretched
Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Raya somehow managed to throw himself in the air — fully stretched — and get a fingertip to the ball, parrying it out for a corner, which drew a rapturous ovation from the Arsenal fans.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
But that temporary closure stretched into weeks, leaving an empty building on a prime corner in the city’s premier Broadway Plaza shopping center.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Rather than small, hidden petroglyphs, these panels covered giant cliff faces that stretched up to 39 meters (128 ft) in height – something that would have required adventurous artists to scale narrow ledges to leave their mark.
—New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2025
Those claims already stretched the limits of seriousness and legality, targeting splinter groups – at best – and other bad actors completely unassociated with Al Qaeda at worst.
—Alexander Langlois, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
While Prohibition, which stretched from 1920 to 1933, certainly affected bowling alleys, especially the ones that served alcohol (which is to say, most of them), women started to bowl in greater numbers during that time.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 24 Sep. 2025
These quantum fluctuations, generated on the smallest scales, get stretched to larger scales by inflation, while newer, later-time fluctuations get stretched atop them, creating a superposition of these fluctuations on all distance scales.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 24 Sep. 2025
Gone are the days when the lines of fans stretched for blocks.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
Adjective
Protect your peace by keeping your word, especially if you’re feeling stretched for time.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Raya somehow managed to throw himself in the air — fully stretched — and get a fingertip to the ball, parrying it out for a corner, which drew a rapturous ovation from the Arsenal fans.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
But that temporary closure stretched into weeks, leaving an empty building on a prime corner in the city’s premier Broadway Plaza shopping center.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Rather than small, hidden petroglyphs, these panels covered giant cliff faces that stretched up to 39 meters (128 ft) in height – something that would have required adventurous artists to scale narrow ledges to leave their mark.
—New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2025
Those claims already stretched the limits of seriousness and legality, targeting splinter groups – at best – and other bad actors completely unassociated with Al Qaeda at worst.
—Alexander Langlois, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
While Prohibition, which stretched from 1920 to 1933, certainly affected bowling alleys, especially the ones that served alcohol (which is to say, most of them), women started to bowl in greater numbers during that time.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 24 Sep. 2025
These quantum fluctuations, generated on the smallest scales, get stretched to larger scales by inflation, while newer, later-time fluctuations get stretched atop them, creating a superposition of these fluctuations on all distance scales.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 24 Sep. 2025
Gone are the days when the lines of fans stretched for blocks.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretched
Verb
-
People have often tried to predict the end of the world, and while rumors of its imminent demise have been exaggerated, the viral video by Mhlakela and mixed social media reaction to it show the intrigue that the belief retains.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Maduro insisted in his letter that Venezuela’s role in regional drug trafficking has been exaggerated and politically manipulated.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The number of people using the FAIR plan for fire insurance has increased dramatically in recent years as companies have pulled back business in the state due to losses caused by major wildfires arising from risks due to climate change and other factors.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
On their first possession, Mahomes stood in the pocket with the Chiefs in the red zone, spotted receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster open down the middle and pulled the trigger on a third-down pass.—
Sam McDowell
October 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As the evening lengthened, though, the room grew more and more unified in opposition.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The adjustable shoulder strap can be shortened or lengthened to find your perfect fit.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Hughes tried to operate the Cash Box music chart without the money and corruption it had become known for.—
Keith Sharon,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Jasper and his mother, who had lost her shoes and cellphone in the rush to get out of the church, tried to find Josie.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Rolling back the terminology means reprinting guidance, rewriting websites, and retraining staff—all at a time when health budgets have tightened.—
Dr. Nikki Romanik,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
-
And when figurative financial belts are tightened, nonessential goods like snacks oftentimes land on the chopping block (which, in turn, could lead to literal belt-tightening).—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the medical term for an enlarged prostate.—
MD Published,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Michael died at age 53 on Christmas morning in 2016 of natural causes, suffering from an enlarged heart and fatty liver disease.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Manny Machado padded the lead with a two-run homer in the fifth inning.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The adjustable straps are lightly padded, and the entire device only weighs 11 pounds with an empty bag.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Hailey Bieber extended The Row’s $890 City sandal into fall this week in Los Angeles, while Kendall Jenner wore the same style on repeat in New York.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Democrats have demanded that the subsidies, first put in place in 2021 and extended a year later, be extended again.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretched. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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