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
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
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Recent Examples of stretches
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
The wildlife corridor stretches from Mexico to Argentina, comprising 30 conservation landscapes.
—Tom Page, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
Relax on one of the island's pristine stretches of powdery sand, like White Sand Beach.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
Creative work often demands emotional investment, long stretches of focus and a willingness to push past comfort zones.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
Fresh produce, crusty bread, and wheels of cheese abound as do open skies and endless stretches of vineyards.
—Alexandra Jhamb Burns, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2026
Kane had some quiet stretches throughout the campaign, and his penalty against the Wild over the weekend was a backbreaker in that game.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Adding defensive end Rashan Gary will help bolster a pass rush that was dormant for stretches at a time last season, and bringing in safety Jalen Thompson will give some reliability on the back end that Dallas desperately needed after giving up the most passing yards of any team in the NFL in 2025.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2026
Denver metro test drive loop My drives with the Prius covered much of the South Denver metro area, including stretches of C-470 and E-470, where steady highway cruising allowed the hybrid system to show off its efficiency.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
The new district encompasses most of North County and stretches up through Riverside County into Palm Springs.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Grief lives most vibrantly in the periods where your life stretches and bends, the loss constant while life propels forward.
—Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
Fatou’s family tree stretches across generations in a way that makes her story feel both wild and wonderfully relatable.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Schools in the network will also have a longer school year that stretches further into the summer, student-teachers training to become full-time educators, support staff for teachers during lessons and group instruction and higher compensation.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2026
Located in Armenia’s Lori Province, the deep gorge stretches from Vanadzor to the Georgian border.
—Marlise Kast-Myers, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
This tournament, though, now stretches far beyond the leaders, as there are 20 players within seven strokes, and 14 within six.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Bang Bao is a fishing village built on wooden stilts that stretches between dramatic hills and along a lengthy pier on the southern tip of the island.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
Two stretches of yellow-brown wall have caught the sun.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
The wildlife corridor stretches from Mexico to Argentina, comprising 30 conservation landscapes.
—Tom Page, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
Relax on one of the island's pristine stretches of powdery sand, like White Sand Beach.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
Creative work often demands emotional investment, long stretches of focus and a willingness to push past comfort zones.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
Fresh produce, crusty bread, and wheels of cheese abound as do open skies and endless stretches of vineyards.
—Alexandra Jhamb Burns, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2026
Kane had some quiet stretches throughout the campaign, and his penalty against the Wild over the weekend was a backbreaker in that game.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Adding defensive end Rashan Gary will help bolster a pass rush that was dormant for stretches at a time last season, and bringing in safety Jalen Thompson will give some reliability on the back end that Dallas desperately needed after giving up the most passing yards of any team in the NFL in 2025.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2026
Denver metro test drive loop My drives with the Prius covered much of the South Denver metro area, including stretches of C-470 and E-470, where steady highway cruising allowed the hybrid system to show off its efficiency.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
Sitting on a little over an acre, the home stretches over 3,800 square feet.
—Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
The new district encompasses most of North County and stretches up through Riverside County into Palm Springs.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Grief lives most vibrantly in the periods where your life stretches and bends, the loss constant while life propels forward.
—Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
Fatou’s family tree stretches across generations in a way that makes her story feel both wild and wonderfully relatable.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Schools in the network will also have a longer school year that stretches further into the summer, student-teachers training to become full-time educators, support staff for teachers during lessons and group instruction and higher compensation.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2026
Located in Armenia’s Lori Province, the deep gorge stretches from Vanadzor to the Georgian border.
—Marlise Kast-Myers, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
This tournament, though, now stretches far beyond the leaders, as there are 20 players within seven strokes, and 14 within six.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Bang Bao is a fishing village built on wooden stilts that stretches between dramatic hills and along a lengthy pier on the southern tip of the island.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretches
Noun
-
Glass expanses and sliding walls dissolve boundaries, while Turner’s mix of tactile natural materials and warm neutrals echoes the setting without resorting to Caribbean cliché.—
Andrew Sessa,
Robb Report,
5 Apr. 2026
-
That's why there's no greater joy in journalism than driving through the great expanses of the West.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
2 Apr. 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
-
The lower mowing ranges are commonly used for recreational turf areas that are more intensively managed.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Time-to-target ranges between 15 and 20 minutes at maximum distance.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And given how narrow the strait is, projectiles can fired from close distances and provide little time for a defensive response.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The system reaches speeds above Mach 5 and covers distances between 2,700 and 3,500 kilometers (about 1,700 to 2,200 miles).—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The same prime minister who exaggerates his power is also fine with being portrayed as the patsy of more influential actors.—
Aluf Benn,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Nov. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
The turkey meat can maintain some give, but in a satisfying way that pulls the indigenous bird out of its homogenized Thanksgiving context.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The driver then pulls forward toward where the officers are standing and turns sharply.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The slim toe lengthens the leg, while the open heel keeps the outfit from looking heavy.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Not to mention climate change, which lengthens growing seasons and increases pollen production.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Jane tries to give it a bit of meta humor, milking laughs from throwing money at Juicy and doing little jazz hands.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But with the ground rules in place, the Andon Labs team tries to be as hands-off as possible.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stretches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretches. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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