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
Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2025
If your hamstrings always feel tight, endless stretching won’t help.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The unique structure helps the LCEs resist stretching, giving them exceptional stiffness without losing flexibility.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025
Planks, which have elements of Pilates, yoga, and stretching, require little space.
—Mallory Creveling, Health, 22 Oct. 2025
But now this is a nonissue with the Dyson Airwrap Diffuse, which boasts a full suite of attachments for stretching, defining, and enhancing my curls.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
One small study published in 2021 found that an eight-week stretching program was more effective than brisk walking at reducing blood pressure for those with high-normal blood pressure.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Many of us barely have time to complete our to-do lists or find a spare moment for stretching, let alone contemplate the best time to stretch.
—Calin Van Paris, Outside, 14 Oct. 2025
For example, one of my senior worker clients needed an hour each morning for yoga and stretching, due to her fibromyalgia.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2025
Justin Williams, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
At the absolute minimum, Prince Andrew and others in Epstein’s orbit showed a pathological incuriosity about the young girls who surrounded him—and that is stretching good faith to its very limit.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025
Of course, a highlight of the free event is the display of colorful altars at the Mexican Heritage Plaza and at surrounding businesses on Alum Rock Avenue stretching west toward Highway 101.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2025
Mercury meeting Jupiter and Saturn encourages you to experiment with stretching your worldview.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Vessel-tracking data suggests the Harmony network forms an arc stretching from Murmansk eastward to Novaya Zemlya and north to Franz Josef Land, effectively a tripwire guarding the Northern Fleet’s principal bases.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Results on whether stretching can really reduce blood pressure have been mixed.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2025
In 2006–07 fundraising and deployment cycles, firms rushed to put money to work and paid increasingly high prices, stretching valuations.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025
Plascencia is 10-for-10 on field goals, including a career-long 53-yarder, stretching his school and Mountain West record to 22 straight field goals.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
Regular stretching and yoga may help improve arterial stiffness and complement aerobic exercise.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2025
If your hamstrings always feel tight, endless stretching won’t help.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The unique structure helps the LCEs resist stretching, giving them exceptional stiffness without losing flexibility.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025
Planks, which have elements of Pilates, yoga, and stretching, require little space.
—Mallory Creveling, Health, 22 Oct. 2025
But now this is a nonissue with the Dyson Airwrap Diffuse, which boasts a full suite of attachments for stretching, defining, and enhancing my curls.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
One small study published in 2021 found that an eight-week stretching program was more effective than brisk walking at reducing blood pressure for those with high-normal blood pressure.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Many of us barely have time to complete our to-do lists or find a spare moment for stretching, let alone contemplate the best time to stretch.
—Calin Van Paris, Outside, 14 Oct. 2025
For example, one of my senior worker clients needed an hour each morning for yoga and stretching, due to her fibromyalgia.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
By the end of the game, hundreds of shirtless brethren had joined in on the revelry, stretching across four sections and making headlines.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
At the absolute minimum, Prince Andrew and others in Epstein’s orbit showed a pathological incuriosity about the young girls who surrounded him—and that is stretching good faith to its very limit.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025
Of course, a highlight of the free event is the display of colorful altars at the Mexican Heritage Plaza and at surrounding businesses on Alum Rock Avenue stretching west toward Highway 101.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2025
Mercury meeting Jupiter and Saturn encourages you to experiment with stretching your worldview.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Vessel-tracking data suggests the Harmony network forms an arc stretching from Murmansk eastward to Novaya Zemlya and north to Franz Josef Land, effectively a tripwire guarding the Northern Fleet’s principal bases.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Results on whether stretching can really reduce blood pressure have been mixed.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2025
In 2006–07 fundraising and deployment cycles, firms rushed to put money to work and paid increasingly high prices, stretching valuations.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025
Plascencia is 10-for-10 on field goals, including a career-long 53-yarder, stretching his school and Mountain West record to 22 straight field goals.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretching
Noun
-
Adam Murray, a beef cattle extension specialist at Cornell University, said Trump’s plan to cut beef prices isn’t likely to significantly impact domestic beef prices.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
Nashville Tennessean,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Lionel Messi has signed a contract extension with Inter Miami, the MLS club announced Thursday.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Too often, these nations assume such threats are bluffs or exaggerations because their own logic struggles to grasp that someone would be so blatant.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
-
That’s only a slight exaggeration.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the series, Gacy enjoyed talking about many of his accomplishments and exaggerating some of his stories.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Blumenthal apologized for exaggerating his military record in 2010 after an investigation by the New York Times.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Marigold Room, just off the lobby, is an intimate music space and listening room for just 150 guests that’s already pulling national touring acts.—
Jennifer Bradley Franklin,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Langham stopped the truck by pulling Hagen’s leg off the gas pedal and pushing the brake pedal with her hand.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Officials warn that attacks may also occur on remote islands, lengthening the response time of authorities in the event of an emergency.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Each year, the mining site crept farther south as deposits dwindled, lengthening her father’s commute.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Others were trying to find a place in a growing narrative of American exceptionalism.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The risk to coffee production from climate change has some researchers trying to develop more climate-resistant varieties of coffee.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Keep the handle away from your torso with slightly bent arms, and brace your core by gently tightening your abdominal muscles.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The streaming service is no longer offering investors quarterly subscriber updates, but Wall Street will be keen to hear how recent price hikes and the platform's growing advertising tier are faring — especially as businesses across all sectors grapple with consumers tightening their purse strings.—
Sarah Whitten,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Arquette, meanwhile, manages to make Maggie more than a caricature.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The screenplay stumbles the most when trying to render its Gen Z students, often diving too far into caricature.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stretching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretching. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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