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
Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Once those long reads are obtained, powerful bioinformatics software is used to build longer stretches of contiguous sequence by overlapping reads that share the same sequence of bases.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Follow a beginner’s class or video, focusing on slow stretches and deep breathing.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
The elastic waistband stretches to move with you, and the pants come with faux buttons to make slipping them on a breeze.
—Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
And both have had stretches of inefficiency, although Mgbako turning a healthy diet of mid-rangers at Indiana into 3s at A&M should help.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Before her groundbreaking discoveries made headlines around the world, Goodall endured long, discouraging stretches in the field.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, massage the area, do gentle stretches, or place ice or heating packs in 20- to 30-minute bouts on your body.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Some of Nashville's main thoroughfares were among the 10 most dangerous stretches of roads in Tennessee, a study of traffic safety data shows.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 25 Sep. 2025
Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
As detention stretches on, Kordia said it’s been difficult to follow developments in the war, let alone maintain contact with relatives caught in the conflict.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Leclerc, then 22, was anointed as the man to end Ferrari’s wait for a drivers’ championship that stretches back to 2007.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The walk stretches over an 800-foot pedestrian suspension bridge with views of the Upper Macritchie Reservoir, and there are additional park trails at different difficulty levels to try.
—Elizabeth See, AFAR Media, 2 Oct. 2025
For the most part, essential federal services continue during a government shutdown, but if the shutdown stretches on, delays and interruptions in federal aid, air travel and other services are likely.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Art, Blackness, and the Universe is an outward gaze—one that stretches across galaxies.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 1 Oct. 2025
The former diva’s ledger stretches six decades, from the 1960s to 2000s and the 2020s, while the latter legend shares Jackson’s 1980s-2020s run.
—Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
The military region stretches from the waters off the west coast of the US to the western border of India, and from Antarctica to the North Pole.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
Trucks will be prohibited along stretches of major roads that pass through residential areas, including Livernois, Dragoon, Clark, Scotten and West Grand Boulevard, as well as on all residential streets in that area.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Once those long reads are obtained, powerful bioinformatics software is used to build longer stretches of contiguous sequence by overlapping reads that share the same sequence of bases.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Follow a beginner’s class or video, focusing on slow stretches and deep breathing.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
The elastic waistband stretches to move with you, and the pants come with faux buttons to make slipping them on a breeze.
—Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
And both have had stretches of inefficiency, although Mgbako turning a healthy diet of mid-rangers at Indiana into 3s at A&M should help.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Before her groundbreaking discoveries made headlines around the world, Goodall endured long, discouraging stretches in the field.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, massage the area, do gentle stretches, or place ice or heating packs in 20- to 30-minute bouts on your body.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Some of Nashville's main thoroughfares were among the 10 most dangerous stretches of roads in Tennessee, a study of traffic safety data shows.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
In her lyrics, Swift nods to the road Gallatin Pike, a turnpike for commercial traffic that stretches from East Nashville up through Hendersonville.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
As detention stretches on, Kordia said it’s been difficult to follow developments in the war, let alone maintain contact with relatives caught in the conflict.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Leclerc, then 22, was anointed as the man to end Ferrari’s wait for a drivers’ championship that stretches back to 2007.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The walk stretches over an 800-foot pedestrian suspension bridge with views of the Upper Macritchie Reservoir, and there are additional park trails at different difficulty levels to try.
—Elizabeth See, AFAR Media, 2 Oct. 2025
For the most part, essential federal services continue during a government shutdown, but if the shutdown stretches on, delays and interruptions in federal aid, air travel and other services are likely.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Art, Blackness, and the Universe is an outward gaze—one that stretches across galaxies.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 1 Oct. 2025
The former diva’s ledger stretches six decades, from the 1960s to 2000s and the 2020s, while the latter legend shares Jackson’s 1980s-2020s run.
—Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
The military region stretches from the waters off the west coast of the US to the western border of India, and from Antarctica to the North Pole.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretches
Noun
-
Vast expanses of aluminum panels and budget glass, slabs that look like they were drawn with a hacksaw, façades checkered with air conditioners, stretches of dead street frontage—the whole neighborhood looks like a first draft.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
22 Sep. 2025
-
On the northern shore, Sarakiniko serves as a particular highlight thanks to its dramatic appearance, with vast expanses of bone-white rock stretching across its shoreline.—
Jared Ranahan,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This aligns with a ballistic missile profile reaching medium to intercontinental ranges.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
-
However, a quick resolution to the shutdown could lead to limited follow-through, keeping us in similar ranges to recent months.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
It is designed for short distances and city commutes and has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The system also allows the aircraft to operate without visual observers over greater distances, the company said.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Some critics have said that Costa exaggerates Malafaia’s influence.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Within minutes, the driver pulls back onto the road to haul the feed to an Algoma dairy farm, where livestock will eat it.—
Miranda Dunlap,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Unlacquered brass pulls will also bring out the richness in light ochre, and a lightly veined marble or creamy quartz will add softness, keeping the entire palette feeling expansive.—
Tessa Cooper,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Oct. 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
-
And Survivor tries to keep things unpredictable.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Sep. 2025
-
McEntire played Reba Hart, a divorced mom who tries to keep her family together after her husband divorces her for his dental hygienist.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The election result locks in another chapter of progressive representation in Congress for southern Arizona, and tightens Republicans’ majority on Capitol Hill.—
Laura Gersony,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Veling also thinks once the inventory tightens, prices will either stabilize or begin another run up, depending on the supply-and-demand dynamics for each local market.—
Jeff Lazerson,
Oc Register,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stretches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretches. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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