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
Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 4 Feb. 2026
There’re proper stretching routines.
—Patrick McEnroe, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Some people still call him that, and theorize that the injuries likely have something to do with the style of the team’s play or its approach to strength and conditioning or stretching and recovery.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
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, 22 Jan. 2026
Do not wring or twist because that can cause stretching or stiches to pop.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2026
His pregame routine consisted of activation, treatment, rehab, stretching, weightlifting and mentally focusing while watching television.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 14 Jan. 2026
The Flatiron District in Manhattan has been a center of nouveau wellness for around 15 years, with its many boutique fitness classes, gyms, acupuncturists, and stretching and recovery centers.
—Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 14 Jan. 2026
Some forms of exercise, like yoga and stretching, were not included in the analysis, but are areas to be further researched, the review noted.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Melanie Fincher, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2026
The site-specific Parcours section, stretching along Basel’s Clarastrasse, will be organized for the third year in a row by Stefanie Hessler, director of the Swiss Institute, New York, and will take as its theme the concept of conviviality.
—News Desk, Artforum, 19 Feb. 2026
Records placed the quartet in an avant-jazz lineage stretching back to John Coltrane and Archie Shepp.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
After deliberations stretching across three weeks, the Sacramento City Council appointed Tuesday a new leader for a local agency tasked with overseeing public housing.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 18 Feb. 2026
Tobias Myers is also stretching out to start this spring, even though the Mets plan to use him mostly out of the bullpen.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
The team also analyzed how stretching affected contact angles, breakthrough pressures, and sliding angles.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Feb. 2026
With no talking heads or traditional narrative arcs, often stretching more than three hours in length, Wiseman’s documentaries demanded, and rewarded, patience in the viewer.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
Scores of providers sprang up along a corridor stretching west from the San Gabriel Valley through the San Fernando Valley, which now has the highest concentration of hospices in the nation.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
Regular stretching can reduce muscle tension, improve posture, and help prevent discomfort, stiffness, and potential injuries over time.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 4 Feb. 2026
There’re proper stretching routines.
—Patrick McEnroe, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Some people still call him that, and theorize that the injuries likely have something to do with the style of the team’s play or its approach to strength and conditioning or stretching and recovery.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
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, 22 Jan. 2026
Do not wring or twist because that can cause stretching or stiches to pop.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2026
His pregame routine consisted of activation, treatment, rehab, stretching, weightlifting and mentally focusing while watching television.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 14 Jan. 2026
The Flatiron District in Manhattan has been a center of nouveau wellness for around 15 years, with its many boutique fitness classes, gyms, acupuncturists, and stretching and recovery centers.
—Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 14 Jan. 2026
Some forms of exercise, like yoga and stretching, were not included in the analysis, but are areas to be further researched, the review noted.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
Leveleve Balcony Furniture 5-Piece Patio Conversation Set For truly stretching out and relaxing, this five-piece set includes two chairs with extendable footrests for reclining—then the footrest tuck neatly underneath the chairs when not in use.
—Melanie Fincher, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2026
The site-specific Parcours section, stretching along Basel’s Clarastrasse, will be organized for the third year in a row by Stefanie Hessler, director of the Swiss Institute, New York, and will take as its theme the concept of conviviality.
—News Desk, Artforum, 19 Feb. 2026
Records placed the quartet in an avant-jazz lineage stretching back to John Coltrane and Archie Shepp.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
After deliberations stretching across three weeks, the Sacramento City Council appointed Tuesday a new leader for a local agency tasked with overseeing public housing.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 18 Feb. 2026
Tobias Myers is also stretching out to start this spring, even though the Mets plan to use him mostly out of the bullpen.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
The team also analyzed how stretching affected contact angles, breakthrough pressures, and sliding angles.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Feb. 2026
With no talking heads or traditional narrative arcs, often stretching more than three hours in length, Wiseman’s documentaries demanded, and rewarded, patience in the viewer.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
Scores of providers sprang up along a corridor stretching west from the San Gabriel Valley through the San Fernando Valley, which now has the highest concentration of hospices in the nation.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretching
Noun
-
In recent months, ForwardEdge requested an extension of its compliance date from March 2026 to March 2027 to give them more time to meet their job creation requirement.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Additionally, public universities are an extension of the government, and therefore, must consider additional constitutional protections, unlike private colleges and businesses.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
During a Rolling Stone interview in November, Thornton described the report as an exaggeration.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Schultz declined to respond to the litany of accusations, calling them exaggerations and mischaracterizations.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The show, in exaggerating adolescence—in remaking that consequential phase as a fantasy and a melodrama—also managed to honor it.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Companies are exaggerating their AI capabilities to raise their value and, in turn, creating a host of problems for executives and employees alike.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The film is incredibly, even magnificently, stylish, but beyond its initial presentation, there just isn’t very much guiding the story in any novel or exciting ways — beyond, perhaps, thematic echoes of how the less prim-and-proper tech bros of today might be pulling a fast one too.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Heimuli rebounded from the loss to Kouokam to beat Jessica Pyatt of El Paso Pebble Hills in a consolation semifinal, pulling Pyatt down with 15 seconds left in the second period and getting a pint five seconds later.—
Rick Kretzschmar,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The contrast between the dark shoes and the light denim creates a figure-lengthening balance that’s ideal for those who love basics with a street style star’s attitude.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Why People Love It During its prime trending era in the 1950s, as well as into modern times, boatneck shirts are most known for being flattering on your form—skimming across your collarbones in a lengthening, elegant way.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Coach Rick Hirtensteiner said Young dealt with the pressure by just trying to have fun, and Sheffer, playing with his younger brother, Ryan, a starting shortstop, appeared to do just that Wednesday.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
At the forefront of having our backs through this whole process and trying to do the right thing was Bruce and Matt.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Other possible measures include curbing features such as infinite scrolling, tightening safeguards around the sharing of nude images, and examining restrictions on children’s access to AI chatbots and virtual private networks.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Power plants running on natural gas have been forced to switch to oil with tightening natural gas supplies, further fueling the growing demand for heating oil, Herb said.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Advertisement The ability to sit face to face, to listen as much as to argue, to disagree without retreating into caricature is a prerequisite for meaningful action.—
Alan H.H. Fleischmann,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Martin himself has a knack for reinforcing these caricatures.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stretching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretching. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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