1
as in expanses
a wide space or area
a narrow stretch of beach below the cliffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in ranges
the distance or extent between possible extremes
the stories were written over a considerable stretch of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in tries
to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress
your whining is stretching my patience to the limit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stretches
Will Sammon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
In 2022 and 2024, there were similar blank stretches, but both seasons ended with major wallops to Florida — Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022, and Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
Where 2024 saw prolonged stretches without major releases – leading to the unusual phenomenon of classic film re-releases filling theater schedules – this year has demonstrated that audiences will turn out for quality content across genres, not just action spectacles.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
The shy opt for space between words, for stretches of silence.
—Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2025
The long stretches of hot weather in Milwaukee this July pushed many customers to run air conditioners non-stop.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Brown's criminal record stretches back to 2011, including arrests for armed robbery, larceny, breaking and entering, and assault.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Modern systems analyze patterns of active work, idle stretches and meeting length in real time, giving leaders a live feed of how productivity drifts through a day.
—Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Caglianone also went through some difficult stretches.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
That means afternoon tailgating could get soaked at Hard Rock Stadium for the UM-USF football matchup, although the weather will be improving for the game itself that starts late afternoon and stretches into the evening.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
The main islands, including Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Oahu and Kauai, are among a chain of islands, atolls, reefs and volcanoes beneath the sea that stretches 1,700 miles in the Pacific Ocean.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
In this image, Lunar stretches near Prebend’s Bridge at a spot called The Count’s House in the center of Durham, England.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
With the charging case, total listening time stretches to 10 hours with hearing-AI features enabled.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Bicester soon became the template for a network of high-end fashion outlets that now stretches from Europe to China.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
The motion from this system dynamically stretches and squeezes the space around these objects, sending gravitational waves across the universe.
—Chad Hanna, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
The 11-story observation tower has two decks, one at 26 feet and the other at 126 feet, giving a view that stretches into Warren and Butler counties and downtown Cincinnati.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
The New York Mets keep enduring lengthy rough stretches.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
In 2022 and 2024, there were similar blank stretches, but both seasons ended with major wallops to Florida — Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022, and Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
Where 2024 saw prolonged stretches without major releases – leading to the unusual phenomenon of classic film re-releases filling theater schedules – this year has demonstrated that audiences will turn out for quality content across genres, not just action spectacles.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
The shy opt for space between words, for stretches of silence.
—Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2025
The long stretches of hot weather in Milwaukee this July pushed many customers to run air conditioners non-stop.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Brown's criminal record stretches back to 2011, including arrests for armed robbery, larceny, breaking and entering, and assault.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Modern systems analyze patterns of active work, idle stretches and meeting length in real time, giving leaders a live feed of how productivity drifts through a day.
—Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Caglianone also went through some difficult stretches.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
What began as a handful of campus groups now stretches across more than 3,500 high schools and universities, supported by dozens of full-time staff who manage student activists like a professional sales force.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
That means afternoon tailgating could get soaked at Hard Rock Stadium for the UM-USF football matchup, although the weather will be improving for the game itself that starts late afternoon and stretches into the evening.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
The main islands, including Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Oahu and Kauai, are among a chain of islands, atolls, reefs and volcanoes beneath the sea that stretches 1,700 miles in the Pacific Ocean.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
In this image, Lunar stretches near Prebend’s Bridge at a spot called The Count’s House in the center of Durham, England.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
With the charging case, total listening time stretches to 10 hours with hearing-AI features enabled.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Bicester soon became the template for a network of high-end fashion outlets that now stretches from Europe to China.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
The motion from this system dynamically stretches and squeezes the space around these objects, sending gravitational waves across the universe.
—Chad Hanna, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
The 11-story observation tower has two decks, one at 26 feet and the other at 126 feet, giving a view that stretches into Warren and Butler counties and downtown Cincinnati.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretches
Noun
-
The team calculates that, based on its distance from the star, TRAPPIST-1e might also be a relatively cool world, conceivably with liquid-water oceans or frozen expanses of ice on its surface.—
Jonathan O'Callaghan,
Scientific American,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Backcountry exploration When people seek a break from the pace of modern life and the demands of being digitally connected, national parks contain expanses of backcountry, where signs of civilization are sparse, and where profound natural beauty, adventure and solitude are still available.—
Jeffrey C. Hallo,
The Conversation,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
According to the standard sentencing ranges in Missouri, charges of voluntary manslaughter and first offense for armed criminal action have a maximum of 15 years in prison on each charge.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Your audience needs details, not ranges.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
All the victories were gate to wire fashion at sprint distances.—
Danny Brewer,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The robot firm has also revealed its new robotic equipment that allows humans to access and control this humanoid from large distances.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some critics have said that Costa exaggerates Malafaia’s influence.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The fact that the company exaggerates the job numbers, as well as the true number of states where the plane produces a significant number of jobs does not alter the fact that economic arguments carry a lot of weight in Congressional decisions on weapons procurement.—
William Hartung,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Excellence is like a magnet that pulls great leaders to their futures.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Via visual gags, a cast of gifted comic actors and a script that pulls both from ’80s and ’90s TV movies and screen classics like Suddenly, Last Summer and The Children’s Hour, Maddie’s Secret straddles the line between comedy and melodrama, creating a wholly unique cinematic experience.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
While ChatGPT may initially recommend suicide hotlines, the AI could later give harmful answers as the conversation lengthens.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Kneeling Lunge with Side Bend This move lengthens your iliopsoas, a muscle group that helps flex the hips and connects to the lower back.—
Jenny McCoy,
Outside,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The movie, which is set to hit theaters December 19, is based on the bestselling novel by Freida McFadden and centers on Millie (Sweeney), who tries to escape her past by accepting a job as a live-in housemaid for wealthy couple Nina (Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar).—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Wind chimes and similar elements were used to create a sound for the magical barrier known as the honmoon, the global harmony that Huntrix tries to achieve.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The warning comes as Washington also tightens restrictions on Chinese vehicles.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The unimaginable blow only tightens Laura’s grasp on her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson).—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stretches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretches. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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