stretch 1 of 3

stretch

2 of 3

verb

1
as in to exaggerate
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to pull
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 to lengthen
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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4
5
as in to tighten
to draw tight if the canvas isn't properly stretched over the frame, there will be sagging over time

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stretch

3 of 3

adjective

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of stretch
Noun
Marylanders rally against new taxes, increases Dozens of Marylanders gathered with Republican lawmakers Wednesday night to protest against new taxes In the final stretch of state budget negotiations. Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 20 Mar. 2025 LeBron James is 12% better from three at home during that stretch, too. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
Use the foam brush to apply a thick layer of glue all over the sock, except where the masking tape is (this unglued area will allow the cast to stretch so that the wearer can easily slip it on and off). Kimberly Stoney, Parents, 19 Mar. 2025 In the case of the May 2022 event, the sprites formed inside an area stretching over 77,220 square miles from the Ganges Plain of northeast India to the Tibetan Plateau’s southern foothills. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
A lot of jeans are made with a bit of elastane to give it stretch, but that will just not give you this kind of fit and drape. Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 10 Feb. 2025 More inventive styles like the Nela, a second-skin knee-high boot featuring stretch leather and a harness detail that wraps around the ankle, only go up to 11. Mikelle Street, Them, 26 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
  • The centrepiece of this involved an expansion of the East Stand, adding 8,000 seats, which would be topped by a bubble-like roof.
    Tom Burrows, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The new backstory between Peter (Alexander Molony) and Hook (Jude Law) represents the movie’s incomplete imagination, gesturing at an expansion of its source material without actually fleshing out those ideas.
    Staff Author, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Designed to be a lush, year-round oasis, this innovative space combines design elements inspired by Portland’s urban charm and tropical island retreats, bringing a slice of paradise to the city during the (in)famous Pacific Northwest rainy season.
    Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
  • The United States won the space race and sent men to walk on the moon without a federal Department of Education.
    The Editors, National Review, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • House Democrats from across the party's ideological spectrum — united in their fury at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — are engaged in a campaign to get Senate Democrats to defy their leader.
    Andrew Solender, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025
  • At the other end of the spectrum, large populous emerging countries (think of Indonesia, Nigeria and Bangladesh) are worried about the fallout of the US-China rivalry, but in many ways non-aligned and ambitious for their own economies.
    Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Naz, a nature photographer, keeps himself at a distance after fleeing divinity school and the life his parents had so carefully crafted for him.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025
  • But most of the agency’s other networks are structured as nonprofit organizations that are funded through federal grants, and that distance is making a big difference right now.
    Brian Stelter, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Her depiction of her role at Facebook may or may not be exaggerated.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
  • If Reilly is right, Trump wouldn’t be the first world leader to exaggerate his accomplishments on the links.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Brands began to pull together resources to support refugees.
    Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
  • The 13-minute performance will likely call for a healthy dose of vibrant, colored lighting to pull it all together.
    Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • This has lengthened container transit times by one-to-two weeks, in most instances.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Here in New Mexico, our growing season has lengthened since the 1970s, even as stream flows have decreased.
    Laura Paskus, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Dyrholm doesn’t only try to encounter her characters with openness but also people in her everyday life.
    Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Tate is mentioned explicitly in the series when police try to describe what kind of content Jamie might have been exposed to.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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