1
as in extension
the act of making longer
excessive stretching can cause the fabric to tear or lose its elasticity
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Relevance
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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
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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
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2
as in pulling
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 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
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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
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5
as in tightening
to draw tight
if the canvas isn't properly stretched over the frame, there will be sagging over time
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretching
Noun
-
Robert Pierce, PhD, is a state extension fisheries and wildlife specialist at the University of Missouri.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
21 June 2025 -
Juventus have announced two new sponsorship deals, including a lucrative extension to the agreement with their current kit manufacturer Adidas set to be worth over €400 million ($453 million).—
Adam Digby,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
No exaggeration, this is one of the most thrillingly diverse and culturally vibrant capitals on Earth.—
Emma John,
AFAR Media,
24 June 2025
-
Studio Ghibli’s prestigious reputation consists of truths and exaggerations.—
Ryan Gaur,
IndieWire,
10 June 2025
Verb
-
Goldy still has one of those markers - excessive pulling - sitting unused in front of him.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
-
The Thunder trailed by 16 in the first half before pulling within 52-48 at halftime.—
Austin Knoblauch,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
What’s key is its lengthening fiberstretch pigments and jumbo brush with teeny-tiny bristles that leave no hair uncoated.—
Lauren Valenti,
Vogue,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Rain may provide temporary relief, but allergy seasons are expected to keep lengthening in the future.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Nobody inside the Minnesota Wild locker room was trying to insult anybody’s intelligence by claiming a 1-goal win Monday night over the worst team in the NHL completely cured their recent ills.—
Michael Russo,
The Athletic,
24 Dec. 2024
-
New York police on Monday were trying to determine why someone set a woman ablaze board a train in Brooklyn in a fatal attack drawing outrage from city and state leaders who have been laboring to make the trains safer.—
John Bacon,
USA TODAY,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Barkley said the Commanders brought more defenders near the box, tightening their approach against an offense without its dual-threat option.—
Brooks Kubena,
The Athletic,
22 Dec. 2024
-
If the Fed acts early and forcefully by tightening rates again, short-term yields may rise, but long-term yields may not do anything or even fall.—
Garth Friesen,
Forbes,
21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Entertainment included two balloon artists from Krys Kreations, two strolling caricature artists from Draw the Crowd and Polynesian and Hawaiian music performed by the Stanley Family Trio from Center for World Music.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 June 2025
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At a time when transgender people are under attack on many fronts, both the lack of representation and offensive caricatures of trans people cause real harm.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
11 June 2025
Verb
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What matters is that Dan Hurley’s team won, extending its tournament winning streak to 13 games — and, most importantly, keeping alive its dream of a three-peat.—
Brendan Marks,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Next up is the challenge of extending the momentum instead of letting the pendulum swing back wildly again.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Stretching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretching. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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