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
Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Diggins was visibly uncomfortable late in the sprint after a fast start, struggling to generate power in the finishing stretch.
—Derek Gatopoulos, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2026
Jacqueline Tempera, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2026
Barry said that Porter’s portion of the trail will stretch from the Burns Harbor corporation limit at Babcock Road east to Howe Road.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2026
New research shows men and women are equally committed to doing their best at work, but there’s a growing ambition gap among women who want to get ahead — and companies rolling back commitments to women’s career advancement, sponsorship and stretch opportunities could be to blame.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Noun
One remaining game before the All-Star Break against awful New Orleans merely underscores this stretch’s ease and the weight-of-the-free-world challenge facing the Miami Heat.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Diggins was visibly uncomfortable late in the sprint after a fast start, struggling to generate power in the finishing stretch.
—Derek Gatopoulos, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
Functional designs that pull double, or even triple, duty are an easy way to make your dollar stretch further, especially in smaller spaces where each piece needs to earn its keep.
—Jacqueline Tempera, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2026
Barry said that Porter’s portion of the trail will stretch from the Burns Harbor corporation limit at Babcock Road east to Howe Road.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
According to our expert, washing denim too often breaks down the fibers more quickly and that is especially true if the jeans have any stretch fibers in them, which many of them do.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2026
New research shows men and women are equally committed to doing their best at work, but there’s a growing ambition gap among women who want to get ahead — and companies rolling back commitments to women’s career advancement, sponsorship and stretch opportunities could be to blame.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
-
While political leaders on both sides of the aisle often tout the benefits of energy expansion, their support tends to fade when local considerations come into play.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Heirs had raised $750 million from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in December to finance the expansion of its own oil producing facility to 100,000 barrels per day within five years, more than doubling the asset’s capacity when it was bought from Shell in 2021.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Finding space elsewhere helped in both matches against Sunderland, with an overlapping run from Riccardo Calafiori creating space for Trossard away from home.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Musk’s trimming of his previous space travel predictions came after SpaceX acquired XAI last week, in a move that will merge two of his most ambitious companies into the most valuable private firm in the world.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Bass, 72, still faces several other challengers from across the political spectrum.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
From fudgy squares that melt in your mouth to cake-like slices perfect for stacking on a platter, and even cookie-style mash-ups, these brownie recipes cover the spectrum.—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Moreover, the bottle had only ever moved between Burgundy and Bordeaux, a driving distance of roughly 300 miles.—
Pin Yen Tan 9 min ago,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
These figures position the platform for regional travel, heavy logistics, and emergency response missions that exceed typical urban air taxi distances.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Companies are exaggerating their AI capabilities to raise their value and, in turn, creating a host of problems for executives and employees alike.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
9 Feb. 2026
-
But those spikes will be exaggerated by the power drain from expanding technologies like artificial intelligence and by government decarbonization policies such as those that promote electric vehicle use and electric home heating systems.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But looming is the question of whether the federal immigration officers who pulled the triggers in both cases actually broke the law, a question that will come down to complicated issues that are much harder to define than the outrage that prompted calls for accountability.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Morato also failed to connect with a golden opportunity to pull a goal back, shortly before Lorenzo Lucca finally did.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While that was to be only three weeks, Mohammadi’s time out of prison lengthened, possibly as activists and Western powers pushed Iran to keep her free.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Her medical furlough was initially to be for three weeks, but her time out of prison lengthened, possibly on account of activists and Western powers pushing Iran to keep her free.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Duren shoved Diabate’s face, and despite people on both sides trying to alleviate the tension, the usually mild-mannered Diabate kept trying to find Duren again.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The intelligence reports warn that 764 and its many offshoots have expanded into a transnational, online network that glorifies violence and tries to coerce people, often minors, to hurt themselves or others.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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