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 fight is taking shape across a remarkably broad battlefield, from Atlanta’s northern suburbs to exurban communities and rural stretches of Georgia where both parties see opportunities. — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026 That internal frustration has coincided with one of the most damaging stretches of departures in DeepMind’s history. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 Hilton, and to a lesser extent, Kordestani were absent from the office for stretches. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Growing network of anti-ship weapons The first island chain stretches from Japan through Taiwan and toward the Philippines and Borneo, forming a key geographic barrier across the western Pacific. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026 Directly after the highway's exit, we were greeted by long stretches of farms and rolling hills. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Aug. 2026 The Blue Jays struggled to produce runs consistently for much of the season, while Guerrero endures one of the worst power stretches of his career. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Reykjavík generally sees temperatures in the 50s, while the country's northern location means daylight stretches well into the night, Travel + Leisure reported. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 9 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

Verb

Kyiv also claims Moscow is preparing an increase in recruitment for a new push on the front line that stretches 775 miles along eastern and southern Ukraine. — CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 Basins and streams become elongated at larger scales, so that river networks have an inherent directionality that stretches toward the sea. — Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026 Cincinnati and Charleston are included in a more serious Level 3 of 4 threat of flooding rainfall Tuesday that stretches from eastern Indiana to central West Virginia. — Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 If your voice tightens or your goodbye stretches out, an anxious child will pick up on it, according to expert guidance. — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2026 Williford’s past tenure Williford’s history in Jackson County government stretches back years. — Ben Wheeler august 10, Kansas City Star, 10 Aug. 2026 When the body carries extra weight for a long period of time, the skin stretches, and the underlying support structures weaken. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 10 Aug. 2026 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 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

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

Though males are wingless and females can fly short distances, that reproductive efficiency — combined with its tiny size and penchant for hiding in wood — has supercharged a rapid spread across South Africa.

— Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
The team took the information resulting from this analysis and combined it with quantitative modelling of transport distances and volumes.

— Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 13 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