STRETCHES Synonyms: 207 Similar and Opposite Words

stretches 1 of 2

noun

plural of stretch

as in expanses

a wide space or area a narrow stretch of beach below the cliffs

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Relevance

as in whiles

an indefinite but usually short period of time there was a cardinal at our bird feeder for a short stretch last spring

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as in ranges

the distance or extent between possible extremes the stories were written over a considerable stretch of time

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as in distances

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

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stretches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stretch

as in exaggerates

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

as in pulls

to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure I stretched a back muscle, and the pain is killing me

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as in lengthens

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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as in tries

to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress your whining is stretching my patience to the limit

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as in tightens

to draw tight if the canvas isn't properly stretched over the frame, there will be sagging over time

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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 stretches

Noun

The oil market has been volatile over the course of the war, gaining 9% or more over six single-day or multi-day stretches since the beginning of March. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026 Tens of millions of dollars have poured into Florida campaigns from companies with visions of transforming vast stretches of land in the state’s rural pockets into warehouses. — South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026 The left-hander entered the offseason healthy after returning and proceeded to put together one of the best stretches of his career during the first half of 2025, earning his second All-Star selection. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026 Organizers laid wood-chip mulch over the soggiest stretches of the festival grounds to keep people from slipping. — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 His departure ultimately coincided with one of the busiest stretches of Los Angeles’ season. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 The Rays are banking on Peralta’s years-long track record rather than his recent performance, as the right-hander is in the midst of one of the most difficult stretches of his career over the last two months. — Tim Britton, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Greenpeace Germany warned that oil has already polluted stretches of coastline and damaged the area's fragile ecosystem. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 This is the franchise that dealt the Wave their worst loss of all, the 1-0 semifinals defeat in San Diego that denied Casey Stoney‘s club, which looked weirdly tentative for long stretches, a 2023 NWSL finals berth at Snapdragon Stadium. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 July 2026

Verb

James' decision to run for governor left open his seat in the 10th District, which includes a portion of Oakland County and stretches across conservative communities in Macomb County. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026 Pick a word that stretches you rather than one that flatters you. — Rick Tollakson, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Sarah stretches the beaver pelt in front of her mother to shield her from the crackling ignition of the newspaperman’s flash powder. — Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 The property itself has ties to a storied history that stretches beyond the 1800s, though. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2026 Since Route 66 is 2,488 miles long—and stretches across the majority of the United States—you’ll need to schedule a few rest stops. — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026 The living room, which is sunken with two steps down, is 22 feet deep with a curved bay window that stretches nearly the width of the room. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 3 Aug. 2026 Six Republicans lined up for a chance to run for the district, which stretches east from Kansas City’s Troost Avenue to the rural cities and towns spread across central Missouri. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 Aug. 2026 From a remote hilltop just north of Nablus, the view stretches across the occupied West Bank. — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 21 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretches

Noun

Then in the late winter, Mathon proposed rezoning all of its 188-acre Waterford Parkway South property, including the former airport’s runways and tie-down areas as well as large expanses of woodlands.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026
And there are limited expanses of undeveloped coastal locations along the Gulf of Mexico and southern Atlantic Ocean in the United States.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of expanses

Noun

Sell the position through concise job descriptions, transparent salary ranges, and highlighting small business advantages like flexibility and impact.

— Rob Falzon, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
The ages of those who have fallen ill ranges from 1 to 98 years old, the data shows.

— Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 29 July 2026

Definition of ranges

Noun

The was has been fought mostly from safe distances or through air attacks.

— Luis Martinez, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Intelligence sharing with regional governments and NATO allies, along with advanced technology that allows surveillance from ever greater distances, could enable Washington to monitor threats.

— Michael Fuchs, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of distances

Verb

Armour points to two recent plays, one involving Chelsea Gray and another involving Kiah Stokes, as proof that Clark exaggerates contact and creates false narratives about opposing players.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
The best place to start is a sporting culture that exaggerates accomplishments and rewards capitalistic success before the sporting variety.

— Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of exaggerates

Verb

The vibes are awkward all around, and things only get weirder when Emira pulls Georgia aside to chat.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
Replace Cabinet Hardware New drawer pulls, cabinet knobs, and even hinges can make quite the impact on your tired old kitchen cabinets.

— Barbara Bellesi Zito, The Spruce, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of pulls

Verb

From there, the episode’s mommy-issues plot thickens as the real Alicent does show up at Harrenhal and Alys tries (and fails) to convince Aemond his mother is not there to help him.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
The whole thing reminded me so much of Willow, when Kael’s forces arrive at Tir Asleen and Madmartigan tries to act tough and intimidating despite being badly outnumbered.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026