stretches 1 of 2

plural of stretch
1
2
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

stretches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stretch
1
2
as in pulls
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure I stretched a back muscle, and the pain is killing me

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
5
as in tightens
to draw tight if the canvas isn't properly stretched over the frame, there will be sagging over time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
This sets him apart from most of the other bettors at his altitude, of which there are a few dozen, who visit from out of town on occasion and gamble for marathon stretches. Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025 Grab a chair on Ipanema Beach, sip a fresh coconut, and cool off in the ocean between stretches of sunbathing. Aaron Randolph, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025 Audit and advisory staff often spend long stretches at client sites, while partners and internal teams flow through on staggered schedules. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025 Merrill did best with voters in older parts of the city along State Street and Eagle’s downtown, while Gillis led in Eagle’s northern stretches, including some areas more recently annexed into the city by Avimor and Valnova. Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 5 Nov. 2025 Promoter sequences are short stretches of DNA that tell the cell’s copying machinery where a new protein starts. Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025 The latter played 58 games last season without Ingram available for those two stretches, and going forward, Utah wanted to fortify the position. Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025 These ten stretches first appeared in an article in Irish Runner magazine. Gerard Hartmann, Outside, 3 Nov. 2025 Hunter stretches, too, to weld the play’s interest in the act of watching television to stargazing. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
At its center is a mysterious oligarch whose influence stretches across Manhattan and beyond – protected by a network of fixers, enablers and a brilliant young strategist. Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025 At its center is a mysterious oligarch, whose influence stretches across Manhattan and beyond – protected by a network of fixers, enablers and a brilliant young strategist. Leia Mendoza, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025 Airlines cut 4% of flights out of 40 high-traffic airports across the country, including Indianapolis International Airport, following an order from the Federal Aviation Administration as the shutdown stretches on and air traffic controllers work without pay. Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 7 Nov. 2025 The greatest likelihood of sightings stretches from New York in the east to Washington state in the west, but the view line goes as far south as Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa, according to a forecast map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025 Today, Chiles is back competing for UCLA; but her vision stretches further. Essence, 6 Nov. 2025 The barren Martian landscape stretches as far as the eye can see, interrupted only occasionally by the faintest of tire tracks marking the unpaved road on Libya’s north-south route. Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025 As the government shutdown stretches on, many questions about NASA’s future remain unanswered. Denise Chow, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025 More than a half dozen members of the Tisch family, whose fortune stretches from real estate and hospitality to energy, packaging and sports, have given to Fix the City. Robert Frank, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretches
Noun
  • Ships have been left stranded and vast expanses of sand are visible where water once flowed.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Never mind its name, extreme temperatures, and vast expanses of desert—there are also stones that move on their own.
    Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • UCHealth’s decision to postpone surgeries whiles staff addressed the sterilization problem stands out from other hospitals that have found themselves in similar situations.
    Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The research team underlined that the future work will explore other co-intercalants and optimize electrolytes for even wider temperature ranges.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Pooling of sea water is possible around high tide at beach and harbor areas that is uncommon with normal tidal ranges.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • For those who frequently drive short distances on electric power alone, ADAC suggests that a fully battery-electric vehicle (BEV) may be the smarter option.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Ideal for nature documentaries or ecological films, the reserve offers boardwalk access, eco-lodges and nearby desert plains that allow diverse visual transitions within short distances.
    Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Tainy’s Prometheus — is portrayed by Feid, dressed in an oversized leather coat and lit in a manner that exaggerates his grills in an eerie way.
    Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Whether or not The Bitch of Buchenwald did what is reenacted on the show isn’t relevant, because her activities are placed in the context of a comic book that exaggerates history to make a point — just like Monster does.
    Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Tankaneo Long Trench Coat A long trench instantly pulls any outfit together, and this one does it with a fresh, fashion-forward edge.
    Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The cheese pulls everything together, giving it an extra salty and savory depth.
    Stephanie Ganz, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • This lengthens your body, opens your chest, and lets your arms fall into a more natural position.
    Christine Buzan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Charlotte Tilbury only just launched at Amazon, but this best-selling liquid highlighter is already marked down, as is this Lancôme mascara that defines, volumizes, and lengthens lashes in one fell swoop.
    Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sea’s operating expenses also jumped by 28%, as its e-commerce arm Shopee tries to strengthen its competitive edge of rivals like Alibaba’s Lazada and ByteDance’s TikTok Shop.
    Angelica Ang, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
  • The Vallonia nursery tries to buy about 11 million seeds each year with an eye towards hitting the goal of 3 million healthy seedlings that will mature enough to sell, That 3 million number, however, is just a guess, Winks said.
    Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 11 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stretches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretches. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.

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