stretching (out)

Definition of stretching (out)next
present participle of stretch (out)
as in spreading (out)
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area you can't stretch out your legs to the point where you're blocking the aisle

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretching (out)
Verb
  • Future versions are projected to extend driving range to around 310–372 miles (500–600 kilometers), expanding suitability beyond short-range applications.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Bill Gates named in Epstein files Documents released from the Epstein files indicate that Gates and Epstein met repeatedly after Epstein's prison term to discuss expanding the Microsoft founder's philanthropic efforts.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • In fact, extending the lives of the sick and elderly can impose net costs on society’s ledgers, costs which government regulatory analyses typically ignore.
    James Broughel, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The court said the injunction effectively amounted to a universal injunction by extending relief to a sweeping, uncertified class of protesters and observers.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Co-writer and director Hill brings a unique lens to Reef’s wild but spiritually cleansing, nostalgic and eye-opening trip down memory lane, where confronting his past might be the only way to rescue his future.
    Justin Kroll, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Sullivan first gained a following in Hartford after opening his BOP Coffee Roastery on Pratt Street in early 2024.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The unfolding Jeffrey Epstein saga has galvanized the public for the breadth of its revelations into elite power, from the financial to the political, the cultural to the sociological.
    Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
  • The unfolding catastrophe has long been clear to the people who run Ukraine’s energy sector.
    Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Stretching (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretching%20%28out%29. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.

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