1
as in expansion
a wide space or area
a narrow stretch of beach below the cliffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in space
an indefinite but usually short period of time
there was a cardinal at our bird feeder for a short stretch last spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
4
as in distance
the space or amount of space between two points, lines, surfaces, or objects
the longest stretch of the drive without any place to get gas
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to try
to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress
your whining is stretching my patience to the limit
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in flexible
able to revert to original size and shape after being stretched, squeezed, or twisted
stretch fabrics that don't wrinkle or sag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stretch
Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
At his dining-room table, in a new home in a scraggly stretch of New Orleans’s Seventh Ward, Rob toggled between Facebook and WhatsApp on both his phone and laptop.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
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
Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 5 Mar. 2026
The Tryn Double-breasted Blazer is crafted from a drapey, stretch fabric that resembles the off-duty look Aritzia is known for (but at a way lower price).
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Noun
Hard sci-fi, meanwhile, leans into the fact that life evolving on other planets, under different conditions, and across different stretches of time will almost certainly take on forms so different from ours that comprehending them would be like imagining a new color.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
At his dining-room table, in a new home in a scraggly stretch of New Orleans’s Seventh Ward, Rob toggled between Facebook and WhatsApp on both his phone and laptop.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
Adjective
The researchers, however, did not find meaningful improvements in post-exercise muscle recovery, soreness or tendon mechanical properties (strength, springiness and stretch resistance).
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 5 Mar. 2026
The Tryn Double-breasted Blazer is crafted from a drapey, stretch fabric that resembles the off-duty look Aritzia is known for (but at a way lower price).
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
-
Over the past few of years, the surge in artificial intelligence fueled by apps, websites and other tech has created the need for the rapid expansion of massive data centers to handle the demand.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Part of the money will also go toward expansion of Philander Smith's health education facilities, including space for soon-to-be radiologists and phlebotomists.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The question box includes a space for your name, but this is optional.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Americans’ confidence in the space program – and its own ingenuity – was shattered.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
SpaceX’s application suggests the company is eyeing the spectrum to incorporate into its satellite-to-phone service, Starlink Mobile, which is already available through T-Mobile.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The political spectrum runs far and wide, and every voice matters.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The lower-density regions around them, even from quite a distance away, don’t stand a chance.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The street is within a few minutes’ walking distance of the childhood homes of both McCartney and fellow Beatle George Harrison.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The deadpan one-liners exaggerating his strength, speed and toughness to absurd levels, turned Norris into one of the internet’s first global memes.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On their first night in Guangzhou, while Joost was in the private shower attached to their room, Martha pulled her money pouch from the recesses of her pack and counted her traveller’s checks.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
For the Canucks, Nikita Tolopilo was beaten four times on 11 shots before getting pulled early in the second.—
ABC News,
ABC 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
-
This gin sour lengthened with soda water is a simple yet tasty delight of a drink.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
People and Policy Federal lawmakers have tried to increase children’s access to dental insurance.—
Blake Farmer,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
-
In other words, restaurants tend to follow the market that already exists rather than trying to start one from scratch.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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