1
as in extension
the act of making longer
excessive stretching can cause the fabric to tear or lose its elasticity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exaggeration
the representation of something in terms that go beyond the facts
your constant stretching of the truth is going to get you in trouble someday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in exaggerating
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
as in pulling
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure
I stretched a back muscle, and the pain is killing me
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in lengthening
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 trying
to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress
your whining is stretching my patience to the limit
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in tightening
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
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Recent Examples of stretching
Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
Warming up with light movement, such as walking or dynamic stretching, before a workout as well as cooling down afterward can help prepare muscles, improve flexibility and reduce soreness.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
And in that stretching, the distance between citizens and political change continues to grow.
—Jasmin Lilian Diab, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2026
Aurigny, an airline based out of Guernsey, an island in the English Channel, has cancelled some flights from mid-April stretching into early June as a result of the war.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2026
That stretching, or expansion, causes the wavelength of anything that passes through it to stretch as well.
—Big Think, 3 Apr. 2026
Then get here a little early, jumps on the BOSU ball, stretching, taping, and trying to stay warm as long as possible.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
Just five minutes of mindful movement, like gentle stretching or a quick yoga flow, can help lower stress hormones and support your body’s natural anti-inflammatory defenses.
—Lauren Manaker, SELF, 26 Mar. 2026
In the meantime, Howard, the Wolverines’ first-round opponent, headed to the court for some pre-game stretching, setting up directly in front of what had been Michigan State’s bench.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Yarden Segev, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
The move represented the shattering of a tradition of bipartisan support for public broadcasting stretching back more than a half-century.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
Earlier this year, Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan opposed the rapper’s visit to one of France’s most multicultural cities, which has a history of immigration stretching back centuries.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Model data continues to show a line of showers stretching from the east to the west, developing this afternoon to the north of Pittsburgh.
—Ron Smiley, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Videos online show long lines stretching across the parking lots of participating Popeyes locations in six cities across the country, where a limited number of collectible bento boxes were given away for free with the purchase of the Popeyes Luffy Bento Bundle meal.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
During leaner times, making geda was a simple way of stretching a pot of soup, turning something light into a more satiating meal.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
His focus was less on where to spend the surplus and more on reducing inefficiency, cutting bureaucracy and stretching taxpayer dollars further.
—Adam Beam, AJC.com, 15 Apr. 2026
For a family stretching a tight grocery budget, $22 isn’t a smoothie.
—Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
The first happens in accordance with the Earth’s rotation, the second will be healed with stretching and Ibuprofen, and the third is simply a fact of life and the passage of time.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
Warming up with light movement, such as walking or dynamic stretching, before a workout as well as cooling down afterward can help prepare muscles, improve flexibility and reduce soreness.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
And in that stretching, the distance between citizens and political change continues to grow.
—Jasmin Lilian Diab, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2026
Aurigny, an airline based out of Guernsey, an island in the English Channel, has cancelled some flights from mid-April stretching into early June as a result of the war.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2026
That stretching, or expansion, causes the wavelength of anything that passes through it to stretch as well.
—Big Think, 3 Apr. 2026
Then get here a little early, jumps on the BOSU ball, stretching, taping, and trying to stay warm as long as possible.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
Just five minutes of mindful movement, like gentle stretching or a quick yoga flow, can help lower stress hormones and support your body’s natural anti-inflammatory defenses.
—Lauren Manaker, SELF, 26 Mar. 2026
In the meantime, Howard, the Wolverines’ first-round opponent, headed to the court for some pre-game stretching, setting up directly in front of what had been Michigan State’s bench.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
Video footage shows motorists in the southeast African country of Mozambique waiting for hours at fuel stations as shortages grip the country, with lines of traffic stretching for blocks and drivers traveling between multiple stations in search of petrol or diesel.
—Yarden Segev, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
The move represented the shattering of a tradition of bipartisan support for public broadcasting stretching back more than a half-century.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
Earlier this year, Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan opposed the rapper’s visit to one of France’s most multicultural cities, which has a history of immigration stretching back centuries.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Model data continues to show a line of showers stretching from the east to the west, developing this afternoon to the north of Pittsburgh.
—Ron Smiley, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Videos online show long lines stretching across the parking lots of participating Popeyes locations in six cities across the country, where a limited number of collectible bento boxes were given away for free with the purchase of the Popeyes Luffy Bento Bundle meal.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
During leaner times, making geda was a simple way of stretching a pot of soup, turning something light into a more satiating meal.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
His focus was less on where to spend the surplus and more on reducing inefficiency, cutting bureaucracy and stretching taxpayer dollars further.
—Adam Beam, AJC.com, 15 Apr. 2026
For a family stretching a tight grocery budget, $22 isn’t a smoothie.
—Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretching
Noun
-
The Chicago Blackhawks have given general manager Kyle Davidson a multiyear contract extension, Chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz said Wednesday.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The contract extension covers the 2027-34 seasons, which include the final five seasons of club control and McGonigle’s first three seasons of free agency.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Williams, of course, worked at NBC for nearly three decades, including an 11-year run at NBC Nightly News that ended 2015 after exaggerations and falsehoods were found in some of his reporting, including reports from Iraq, and from New Orleans after it had been ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The novel reads, in retrospect, less like exaggeration than reportage from inside a culture already learning to treat life as publicity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose term featured record numbers of disappearances and homicides, complained that political adversaries were exaggerating the problem to smear his reputation and legacy.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Analysts note that the Russia Defense ministry has a habit of exaggerating advances when the frontlines are scarcely changing.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rodriguez was seen on camera sitting behind the boy and pulling his arms behind his back causing his shoulders to flare out, police say.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Last week, the archdiocese accused CPS of abruptly pulling the funding from only Catholic schools before the school year ended, even questioning if the district had mismanaged money and if the district was targeting their religious schools.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cuts to federal Medi-Cal financing will destabilize public hospitals, lengthening emergency room waits and reducing services.—
Susan Ellenberg,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Before the Iran war began in late February, China’s lead in clean technologies was lengthening.—
Chan Ho-Him,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With recent rains, the banks of the Fox River are soggy and deep, posing possible dangers for those trying to clean up trash in the areas of SEBA, County and Panton Mills parks, a statement from by the village said.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
But many people who live and work in the area are glad to see progress in trying to make this street safer.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The battlefield is narrowing and the timeline is tightening in a congressional redistricting contest among states seeking a partisan advantage ahead of the November midterm elections.—
David A. Lieb,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Climate volatility, for one, is tightening the constraints of agriculture.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His flamboyance never tips into caricature, and along with wit and warmth there is real pain.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
16 Apr. 2026
-
And in mainstream television, Latinos are very often caricatures.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stretching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretching. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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