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
Wray was shocked to hear the story about how O'Neil was just killed nearby just days ago, noting other stretches of Halsted have protected bike lanes with concrete barriers. Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 8 June 2026 Along with Lee, Chapman appears to have finally emerged from an extended slump by posting one of his best stretches of the season. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 8 June 2026 One of the most stunning stretches of FM 170 is the 50 miles between the small towns of Lajitas and Presidio. Gabi De La Rosa, Travel + Leisure, 7 June 2026 But Bridges struggled for long stretches of the season, including for the first three games of the first round, against the Atlanta Hawks. Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 7 June 2026 At the time, Munro was spending long stretches in the hospital being treated for scoliosis and Klippel-Feil syndrome, a rare bone disorder. Sydney Page, Washington Post, 7 June 2026 During the prior incident, four members of a seven-person expedition plummeted near Denali Pass, which is known as one of the most hazardous stretches of the mountain. Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026 Bella made a big mark her freshman year before the breathing problems slowed her down, limiting her to short stretches of playing time the last two seasons. Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026 Which means the 4,092-square-kilometer area between the high, forested escarpment and the wide stretches of the Zambezi River is still pretty untouched. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Verb
The Blue Ridge Parkway is nearly 500 miles of a scenic, mountainous road that stretches from Virginia to North Carolina. Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026 Candice and Timothy show Brittany how ‘church hurt’ stretches out from the pulpit and into cultural norms around gender, sexuality, acceptance. Brittany Luse, NPR, 9 June 2026 The comfort food leans heavily on paprika, and the nightlife stretches well past sunrise. Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2026 Today, the region is majority Latino, and its District 9 — which stretches from LA Live in downtown to the outskirts of Watts — is easily the most Latino council district in the city, at 78% of its residents. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026 The second stop is the Wilshire/La Cienega Station where artist Soo Kim's cityscape stretches across the platform walls. Alys Martinez, CBS News, 9 June 2026 From up here, San Sebastián gleams to the east, the sea stretches endlessly forward, and silence settles like an ancient cloak. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026 The kitchen stretches from the front of the restaurant along the side wall and into the back of the dining room. Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026 The Turkish Riviera stretches for hundreds of miles along the country’s southwestern coast, encompassing destinations such as Bodrum, Göcek, Marmaris and Fethiye. Katia Damborsky, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretches
Noun
  • The architects varied the floor planes and ceiling heights inside to help define spaces in lieu of walls, maintaining views of the panorama through expanses of floor-to-ceiling glass shaded by broad hemlock eaves.
    Fred Albert, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
  • Those hilly expanses hold a lot of amenities, including a ski hill and golf courses.
    Katy Spratte Joyce, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2026
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
  • Price per vial ranges from $9,000 to $14,000, but insurance nearly always covers antivenom and snake bite care.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 8 June 2026
  • That model could then be used to identify a set of exact values (within the ranges used in the simulations) for all the parameters that would result in the lowest error.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 8 June 2026
Noun
  • Lidar technology uses laser pulses to measure distances and generate highly accurate spatial maps.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 June 2026
  • But in reality, the two planets will be separated by at least four Earth-sun distances in space.
    Doris Elin Urrutia, Space.com, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • Dehydration exaggerates creases and makes skin look less supple.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Dehydration exaggerates creases and gives skin a texture that emphasizes lines.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The pillow is filled with shredded memory foam gel that pulls heat away from your head, neck, and shoulders to prevent overheating.
    Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
  • Google search pulls from the same information as Google News, even though the two sites are technically separate.
    Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • When the cycle lengthens, growth is a tax on the balance sheet rather than a contribution.
    Ali Aydan, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • Storing in the refrigerator lengthens that time to six to eight months.
    Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Nate Bargatze’s new movie, The Breadwinner (in theaters now), tries to recapture the magic of the mid-tier comedy, David Sims writes.
    Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026
  • The Braves have won the opening game of a home series nine times in 10 tries this season.
    CBS News, CBS News, 5 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stretches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretches. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.

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