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
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 22 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
Whether due to discoloration, pilling, or elastic stretching, bed sheets start to show their age over time.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 13 Mar. 2026
After some stretching and instruction, I was let loose in the Atlantic.
—Austin Bush, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
The rover has spent roughly six months exploring unusual geological formations on Mars known as boxwork — crisscrossing ridges that resemble giant spiderwebs stretching across the surface for miles when viewed from orbit.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
Daily stretching can improve circulation, enhance posture, and promote mental health, to name a few perks.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 25 Feb. 2026
Another candidate, this one for a high-level position, was doing a lot of stretching, Nibler said.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2026
An avid field recordist, Kamaru has spoken of running his documentations of his surroundings—buses and bustling markets in Nairobi, sirens and birdsong in Berlin—through various types of digital processing, stretching and mulching and interweaving them with synths until the humdrum becomes musical.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 21 Feb. 2026
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
The red flag warning covers 27 counties stretching from southwest Iowa to the Des Moines area.
—Brandi D. Addison, Des Moines Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Sarit Zehavi, the founder and president of the Alma Institute and a retired Israeli military officer, said Israel will likely establish a more extensive area of control stretching farther north.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
His collaborators included some of the most significant directors in Hollywood history, among them Michael Curtiz, John Frankenheimer, Sidney Lumet and Martin Ritt, with a roster of stars stretching from Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney to Paul Newman, Rock Hudson and Barbra Streisand.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Fall brings the city's signature food events, including the Farm-to-Fork Festival and the elusive Tower Bridge Dinner, a communal meal stretching across the bridge with seats awarded through a highly competitive lottery.
—Keyla Vasconcellos, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
The company focuses solely on the medical linen industry, which also includes uniform rental, its market stretching from Maine to northern Delaware.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
United Airlines announced a brand new seat option for travelers that made napping and stretching out on a plane a whole lot easier.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Mar. 2026
Rolling hills carpeted in bluebonnets stretching as far as the eye can see.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Noun
Even moderate activities like walking, cycling or stretching can provide noticeable benefits.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 22 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
Whether due to discoloration, pilling, or elastic stretching, bed sheets start to show their age over time.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 13 Mar. 2026
After some stretching and instruction, I was let loose in the Atlantic.
—Austin Bush, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
The rover has spent roughly six months exploring unusual geological formations on Mars known as boxwork — crisscrossing ridges that resemble giant spiderwebs stretching across the surface for miles when viewed from orbit.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
Daily stretching can improve circulation, enhance posture, and promote mental health, to name a few perks.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 25 Feb. 2026
Another candidate, this one for a high-level position, was doing a lot of stretching, Nibler said.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2026
An avid field recordist, Kamaru has spoken of running his documentations of his surroundings—buses and bustling markets in Nairobi, sirens and birdsong in Berlin—through various types of digital processing, stretching and mulching and interweaving them with synths until the humdrum becomes musical.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
Then again, there’s plenty of reason to be skeptical with billions already being made from an ecosystem that is stretching fans’ wallets.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
The red flag warning covers 27 counties stretching from southwest Iowa to the Des Moines area.
—Brandi D. Addison, Des Moines Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Sarit Zehavi, the founder and president of the Alma Institute and a retired Israeli military officer, said Israel will likely establish a more extensive area of control stretching farther north.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
His collaborators included some of the most significant directors in Hollywood history, among them Michael Curtiz, John Frankenheimer, Sidney Lumet and Martin Ritt, with a roster of stars stretching from Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney to Paul Newman, Rock Hudson and Barbra Streisand.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Fall brings the city's signature food events, including the Farm-to-Fork Festival and the elusive Tower Bridge Dinner, a communal meal stretching across the bridge with seats awarded through a highly competitive lottery.
—Keyla Vasconcellos, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
The company focuses solely on the medical linen industry, which also includes uniform rental, its market stretching from Maine to northern Delaware.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
United Airlines announced a brand new seat option for travelers that made napping and stretching out on a plane a whole lot easier.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Mar. 2026
Rolling hills carpeted in bluebonnets stretching as far as the eye can see.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretching
Noun
-
Fely reached the 40-rep mark, but two were deemed not to have reached full extension and were subtracted from his total.—
Darin Oswald,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Kuku is positioning it as a genre first for Indian cinema, with the theatrical setting central to its strategy – the company sees the communal big-screen experience as distinct from, rather than an extension of, its existing digital offerings.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Behind the private gates of Clos du Lac, where vineyards edge the winding roads, one hilltop estate overlooking Folsom Lake pulls off the Mediterranean spirit so seamlessly that comparisons to the Italian countryside don’t feel like exaggeration.—
David Caraccio
March 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Together, these individuals bedevil lawmakers with their flag-waving and their exaggerations about the alien problem.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bosco’s attorneys argue Shaw was exaggerating the situation.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
-
One expert, however, testified for prosecutors that the defendant was malingering, or exaggerating his psychiatric issues and was not legally insane at the time.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The trio rebuild the tower and Guerrero goes up again, pulling the line for about four minutes more before the group takes down the tower, wheels the cart away from the window and walks away.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Trouble is, the Legislature has had no trouble finding excuses to enact and renew an ever-lengthening list of exemptions.—
Martin Dyckman,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The alternative of intensifying and lengthening this war would leave everyone a loser.—
Nicholas D. Kristof,
Mercury News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Police officials said Abril took the couple hostage during the standoff after a shootout with CHP investigators trying to serve a search warrant at the park.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Simplifying remote access for users with a wide range of tech savvy (or for those stuck in BIOS or trying to troubleshoot) can speed up support and maybe even prevent the need to send a machine in the mail for servicing.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While some countries are opening new, easier pathways to citizenship or long-term residency options, others are tightening their requirements in ways that are slamming the door on millions of Americans hoping to settle there or get a second passport.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The backdrop has prompted some investors to question whether the Fed might be forced back into tightening mode despite signs of slowing growth.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The latter, a wry comedy of futile endeavor, was based on a story by Kiarostami, but Haghighi soon sought to shake off Kiarostami’s influence—and, even more, a prevailing caricature of Iranian cinema that Kiarostami’s style had given rise to.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
There will also be hands-on creative activities for people of all ages, including printmaking, henna and glitter tattoos, foam crafts, sand art, caricatures, and more.—
Alyson Rodriguez,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stretching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretching. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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