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
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
Just five minutes of mindful movement, like gentle stretching or a quick yoga flow, can help lower stress hormones and support your body’s natural anti-inflammatory defenses.
—Lauren Manaker, SELF, 26 Mar. 2026
Even moderate activities like walking, cycling or stretching can provide noticeable benefits.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
In the meantime, Howard, the Wolverines’ first-round opponent, headed to the court for some pre-game stretching, setting up directly in front of what had been Michigan State’s bench.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Whether due to discoloration, pilling, or elastic stretching, bed sheets start to show their age over time.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 13 Mar. 2026
After some stretching and instruction, I was let loose in the Atlantic.
—Austin Bush, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
The rover has spent roughly six months exploring unusual geological formations on Mars known as boxwork — crisscrossing ridges that resemble giant spiderwebs stretching across the surface for miles when viewed from orbit.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
Daily stretching can improve circulation, enhance posture, and promote mental health, to name a few perks.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 25 Feb. 2026
Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
At Fourth and Bainbridge streets in the Queen Village neighborhood, drivers are slowing, stopping and swerving to avoid two large potholes stretching across the roadway.
—Ross Dimattei, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
The audit examines internal MSCS workings from fiscal year 2022 through fiscal year 2024, stretching the tenure of multiple superintendents.
—Brooke Muckerman, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 1 Apr. 2026
At the same time, more and more Americans embraced Manifest Destiny, the idea that continental conquest was inevitable and that the lands stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific (and possibly beyond) were American by divine right.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The Great Sphinx of Giza is a 4,500-year-old limestone statue featuring a lion’s body and a human head, stretching 240 feet long and 66 feet high.
—Ryan Brennan
april 1, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
For households already navigating rising prices on groceries, housing, and health care, higher utility bills mean stretching family budgets even further.
—David Santiago, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
In 1829 the financier Thomas Peel was granted a 250,000-acre (101,172-hectare) area of land stretching from Cockburn Sound to the Murray River in what is now the Peel Region.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
The red flag warning covers 27 counties stretching from southwest Iowa to the Des Moines area.
—Brandi D. Addison, Des Moines Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
Then get here a little early, jumps on the BOSU ball, stretching, taping, and trying to stay warm as long as possible.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
Just five minutes of mindful movement, like gentle stretching or a quick yoga flow, can help lower stress hormones and support your body’s natural anti-inflammatory defenses.
—Lauren Manaker, SELF, 26 Mar. 2026
Even moderate activities like walking, cycling or stretching can provide noticeable benefits.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
In the meantime, Howard, the Wolverines’ first-round opponent, headed to the court for some pre-game stretching, setting up directly in front of what had been Michigan State’s bench.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Whether due to discoloration, pilling, or elastic stretching, bed sheets start to show their age over time.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 13 Mar. 2026
After some stretching and instruction, I was let loose in the Atlantic.
—Austin Bush, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
The rover has spent roughly six months exploring unusual geological formations on Mars known as boxwork — crisscrossing ridges that resemble giant spiderwebs stretching across the surface for miles when viewed from orbit.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
Daily stretching can improve circulation, enhance posture, and promote mental health, to name a few perks.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
Trolley lines move across the city, stretching as far West as the Darby Transit Center and back East toward 13th street.
—Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
At Fourth and Bainbridge streets in the Queen Village neighborhood, drivers are slowing, stopping and swerving to avoid two large potholes stretching across the roadway.
—Ross Dimattei, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
The audit examines internal MSCS workings from fiscal year 2022 through fiscal year 2024, stretching the tenure of multiple superintendents.
—Brooke Muckerman, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 1 Apr. 2026
At the same time, more and more Americans embraced Manifest Destiny, the idea that continental conquest was inevitable and that the lands stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific (and possibly beyond) were American by divine right.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The Great Sphinx of Giza is a 4,500-year-old limestone statue featuring a lion’s body and a human head, stretching 240 feet long and 66 feet high.
—Ryan Brennan
april 1, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
For households already navigating rising prices on groceries, housing, and health care, higher utility bills mean stretching family budgets even further.
—David Santiago, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
In 1829 the financier Thomas Peel was granted a 250,000-acre (101,172-hectare) area of land stretching from Cockburn Sound to the Murray River in what is now the Peel Region.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
The red flag warning covers 27 counties stretching from southwest Iowa to the Des Moines area.
—Brandi D. Addison, Des Moines Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretching
Noun
-
Despite this, the council voted unanimously to approve a contract extension with the company.—
Carmela Karcher,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
And Lurie’s decision not to comment on another Hurts contract does not preclude another extension at some point.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Behind the private gates of Clos du Lac, where vineyards edge the winding roads, one hilltop estate overlooking Folsom Lake pulls off the Mediterranean spirit so seamlessly that comparisons to the Italian countryside don’t feel like exaggeration.—
David Caraccio
March 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Together, these individuals bedevil lawmakers with their flag-waving and their exaggerations about the alien problem.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bosco’s attorneys argue Shaw was exaggerating the situation.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The trio rebuild the tower and Guerrero goes up again, pulling the line for about four minutes more before the group takes down the tower, wheels the cart away from the window and walks away.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Detention stays are lengthening in part because of the administration's decision last summer to restrict bond hearings in immigration court.—
Martin Kaste,
NPR,
26 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Parents, guardians, aunts and uncles don't have time to read every book on the shelf while trying to pick something for the young reader in their life, so here are some simple ways to determine if a book is suitable for that child.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Wolfe countered that his client was merely trying to settle the case.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While some countries are opening new, easier pathways to citizenship or long-term residency options, others are tightening their requirements in ways that are slamming the door on millions of Americans hoping to settle there or get a second passport.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The backdrop has prompted some investors to question whether the Fed might be forced back into tightening mode despite signs of slowing growth.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The latter, a wry comedy of futile endeavor, was based on a story by Kiarostami, but Haghighi soon sought to shake off Kiarostami’s influence—and, even more, a prevailing caricature of Iranian cinema that Kiarostami’s style had given rise to.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
There will also be hands-on creative activities for people of all ages, including printmaking, henna and glitter tattoos, foam crafts, sand art, caricatures, and more.—
Alyson Rodriguez,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stretching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretching. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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