1
as in extension
the act of making longer
excessive stretching can cause the fabric to tear or lose its elasticity
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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
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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
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2
as in pulling
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 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
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4
as in trying
to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress
your whining is stretching my patience to the limit
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5
as in tightening
to draw tight
if the canvas isn't properly stretched over the frame, there will be sagging over time
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretching
Noun
-
The environment becomes an extension of themselves, as close as a loved one or a friend.—
Gwendolina Duval,
Vogue,
22 Apr. 2025 -
The Florida resort revealed the new perk on Monday, along with a limited extension of this year's free water park promotion and other details that may impact when and how travelers visit.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Their suffering has often been dismissed as exaggeration, hysteria, or simply the cost of existence.—
Jayne Mattingly,
Time,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Unfortunately, this plot element isn’t an exaggeration for dramatic effect.—
Maria Flynn,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Goldy still has one of those markers - excessive pulling - sitting unused in front of him.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
-
The Thunder trailed by 16 in the first half before pulling within 52-48 at halftime.—
Austin Knoblauch,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
What’s key is its lengthening fiberstretch pigments and jumbo brush with teeny-tiny bristles that leave no hair uncoated.—
Lauren Valenti,
Vogue,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Rain may provide temporary relief, but allergy seasons are expected to keep lengthening in the future.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Nobody inside the Minnesota Wild locker room was trying to insult anybody’s intelligence by claiming a 1-goal win Monday night over the worst team in the NHL completely cured their recent ills.—
Michael Russo,
The Athletic,
24 Dec. 2024
-
And that might also be scaring some people off about trying to release a brand-new holiday movie, not based on a piece of IP at this time of year.—
Elizabeth Stanton,
Fox News,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Barkley said the Commanders brought more defenders near the box, tightening their approach against an offense without its dual-threat option.—
Brooks Kubena,
The Athletic,
22 Dec. 2024
-
If the Fed acts early and forcefully by tightening rates again, short-term yields may rise, but long-term yields may not do anything or even fall.—
Garth Friesen,
Forbes,
21 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
George Clooney received his Sardi’s caricature Thursday after making his Broadway debut in Good Night, and Good Luck this spring.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2025
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The conventional wisdom that artists are a handful yields a singular character in Cheyenne but also some clichéd caricatures.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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What matters is that Dan Hurley’s team won, extending its tournament winning streak to 13 games — and, most importantly, keeping alive its dream of a three-peat.—
Brendan Marks,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
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Next up is the challenge of extending the momentum instead of letting the pendulum swing back wildly again.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Stretching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretching. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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