stretch 1 of 4

stretch

2 of 4

verb (1)

1
as in to exaggerate
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

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2
as in to pull
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure I stretched a back muscle, and the pain is killing me

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3
as in to lengthen
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

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4
5
as in to tighten
to draw tight if the canvas isn't properly stretched over the frame, there will be sagging over time

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stretch

3 of 4

adjective

stretch (out)

4 of 4

verb (2)

as in to expand
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area you can't stretch out your legs to the point where you're blocking the aisle

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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 stretch
Noun
Cardoso’s paintings are littered with artifacts to L.A.’s past and present: Mission Road, King Taco, LAX, wide stretches of the 101. Jason Parham, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will rightly be the major talking point from the blowout, capping a sublime three-game stretch in this series with a brilliant closeout performance. Shane Young, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Verb
The Longhorns tacked on three more runs in the inning to stretch the advantage to 9-0. Kavan (23-4) went the distance, giving up six hits in seven innings with a walk and 5 strikeouts. Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 May 2025 Her late explosion was too much to come back from as the lead stretched to double digits again. Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025
Adjective
The reality is, high performers thrive on stretch goals. Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 Each yoga pose, stretch, or walk to the laundry room will get her even further toward her fitness goals. Brie Schwartz, Glamour, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
  • The series, produced by BBC Studios India Productions in collaboration with All3Media International, represents Prime Video India’s expansion into high-profile reality programming.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 May 2025
  • When scaling disbursed teams, considerations include attracting and retaining the best talent to drive expansion.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • Even small spaces can support amphibians and serve as important corridors that connect to larger green spaces, says Hua.
    Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2025
  • The importance of education for the museum can be seen by the educational spaces baked into the museum’s design from the beginning, including 10 large classroom spaces, a vast library, and two state-of-the-art theaters.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • But critics across the political spectrum, including some Republicans, say the arrangement raises serious legal and constitutional questions—especially given Trump’s private business ties in the region and the shadow of past emoluments controversies.
    Nik Popli, Time, 12 May 2025
  • Fans have interpreted Murderbot as asexual, gender-fluid and on the autism spectrum.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • Our aim was to collapse the distance between the audience and the story.
    Jeryl Brunner, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
  • Through the Truist Championship, his average driving distance is 318.6 yards (320.2 yards in full 2024 season, 326.3 yards in full 2023 season) and his driving accuracy percentage is 51.80% (60.29% in full 2024 season, 53.25% in full 2023 season).
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • Despite its grandeur, over the centuries the palace proved to be a flexible structure, capable of accommodating additions, splits, partitions, changes of ownership and use.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 24 May 2025
  • After all, supportive sneakers for walking through a city, flexible pants for long-haul flights, and versatile pieces that can be worn multiple times throughout a trip are essentials on any packing list.
    Rachel Trujillo, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • The debris flow had barreled more than a mile down the mountain, leaving an expanse of mud and rocks.
    Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 19 May 2025
  • Given its expanse into a head-to-toe resort wear outfitter that even trades in unstructured jackets and knitted trainers, how does the label continue to grow without losing sight of its original purpose?
    Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • Took him a while to put some guys away at different times.
    Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 15 May 2025
  • An investigation into the couple’s deaths began in September 2023 when their doctor raised concerns about John and Lois’ welfare after not seeing them for a while, Essex police wrote in a news release.
    Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • Specifically, researchers discovered a link between a heart failure diagnosis and having problems with a broad range of mental processes, such as memory, paying attention, and planning.
    Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 16 May 2025
  • Today, these models are constantly changing, from text-centric tools to multimodal solutions that can work with a much wider range of file data, including images, videos, sound and more.
    Nick Burling, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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