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
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stretch
Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2025
The episode on Monday continues a turbulent stretch for Delta and for the airline industry as a whole.
—Sopan Deb, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
David Axe, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
The Emmy-winning mothership series, which stretched across nearly 100 episodes from 2006 to 2013, centered on a Miami PD blood spatter analyst solving murders — and committing them, channeling his urge to kill against violent criminals.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2025
Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Make the goals reasonably outsized and be aspirational so that they are considered stretch goals.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Noun
The 26% clip over that stretch is worse than any team in Division I this season.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2025
The episode on Monday continues a turbulent stretch for Delta and for the airline industry as a whole.
—Sopan Deb, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
The staggering losses explain why the Russian may advance near Pokrovsk without actually capturing the city, which anchors a long chain of fortified cities stretching north toward Kharkiv.
—David Axe, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
The Emmy-winning mothership series, which stretched across nearly 100 episodes from 2006 to 2013, centered on a Miami PD blood spatter analyst solving murders — and committing them, channeling his urge to kill against violent criminals.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
The soft and smooth texture of the material is meant to combine with a stretch mesh material wrapping the graphite within the grip to improve vibration dampening by 5.8%.
—Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Make the goals reasonably outsized and be aspirational so that they are considered stretch goals.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
-
Mining and refining minerals is highly energy-intensive, meaning that any expansion of production will require massive investments in rebuilding power infrastructure.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump is calling for the expansion of crisis intervention programs as new data shows police killings hit a record high in 2024 — despite a national decline in violent crime.—
Delano Massey,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
But during Compaq’s heyday, the company had about 6.5 million square feet of manufacturing, labs and office space in Houston.—
Patrick Moorhead,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Last spring, space junk from the International Space Station crashed into a home in Florida.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Trump and Musk were pushing back on widespread chatter from both sides of the political spectrum that their political alliance could soon collapse, perhaps if Trump tires of Musk hogging the limelight or if his actions attract too much criticism.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2025
-
Despite differing political approaches, one thing is clear: New Mexico is facing an urgent crisis, and leaders across the political spectrum will need to find common ground to prevent further loss of life while navigating around Trump's plans to carry out large-scale mass deportations.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Breakdown The only fighter to go the distance with Beterbiev, Bivol looks to even the score with the man who handed him his first career loss.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
-
The university, which is a private Christian institution, wants to put distance between itself and the fictional team.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Distorted and exaggerated by Weegee’s hand—with grins set in a chilling rictus, or eyes and noses spread wide and pancaked—these idols became monsters.—
Naomi Fry,
The New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2025
-
Moral panics are created when politicians exaggerate a public concern to manipulate real fears people may have.—
Brittany Friedman,
The Conversation,
21 Feb. 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
-
Their trade for Jesús Luzardo raises the ceiling of their back-end starters, lengthening the rotation even before top prospect Andrew Painter is called up to the majors.—
Chad Jennings,
The Athletic,
18 Feb. 2025
-
My complexion was pore-less, my lashes were lengthened, but my brows looked meh.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Baron criticized the use of heavily armed federal agents for such cases, arguing that resources should be focused on criminals and public threats rather than individuals trying to adjust their status legally.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Lakshmi shared her passion for food with others in ways that inspired them to try new things and experience new flavors through TV and her cookbooks, as well as based on her commentary as a judge on one of the most famous cooking competition shows.—
Yola Robert,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to stretch
Cite this Entry
“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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