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
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Recent Examples of stretching
Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
New research suggests that light daily movement, such as gentle stretching, a leisurely stroll, or easy household chores like vacuuming are linked to a lower risk of death in people with these overlapping conditions, called cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Sunday’s practice amounted to watching film, stretching, treatment and walking through a few concepts on the floor in the glow of the first triple-overtime victory in school history.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Activities such as sunrise yoga, island tours, and a restorative stretching class specifically designed with divers in mind only enhance its appeal.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2026
To simulate life, the AlveoliX system uses rhythmic three-dimensional stretching.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Jan. 2026
After a long while, earrings can even cause permanent stretching to your earlobes from weighing down your ears, which is impossible to naturally reverse.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
Even after symptoms improve, continue regular stretching and strengthening exercises, moderate your activity level, and gradually return to full movement without doing too much too soon.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 26 Dec. 2025
This can look like stretching, breathwork, meditation, nature walks, and decreasing your workload.
—Dr. Amy Tran, CNBC, 25 Dec. 2025
David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
Without stretching their budget, travelers can enjoy 22 miles of pristine coastline or cross the bridge to hop on a shuttle with Explore Jax Core Tours, where the city’s history, culture, and future unfold through vivid storytelling and physical representation.
—Essence, 7 Nov. 2025
The president's 63% disapproval rating in the poll is also a noteworthy change to numbers stretching back to January 2025.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Its mighty 12-cylinder heart is mounted transversely, stretching side-to-side across the chassis instead of the front-to-back layout usually used with engines of more than four cylinders.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2025
The post comes amid increasing concerns around the amount of investment going toward artificial intelligence and data centers, a trend some see as stretching stock market valuations to their limit while putting downward pressure on an already shaky labor market.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
Even in urban areas like Phoenix and Tucson, many practices are at capacity, with wait times for new patient appointments stretching for months.
—Sixteen Ramos, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Guests mingled and dined at long, stretching tables lined with plum calla lilies and small golden lamps.
—Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2025
Zelenskyy said attacks were reported in the capital Kyiv and at least nine other Ukrainian regions, stretching from frontline areas in the southeast of the country to the border with Poland in the west.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
Knitted garments are best stored folded to prevent stretching.
—Verb
He was first elected to the House in 1992, and now represents an inland district stretching from the southern Riverside suburbs to Palm Springs.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretching
Noun
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For the comedic pair, the project is a natural extension of their decades-long creative partnership.—
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The payment extension only covers 2025 taxes, LeVota said.—
Noun
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Speaking of which, the concept of royalty among members of PFV is no exaggeration, though some of the blue blood flowing through members’ veins is merely aristocratic.—
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The deliberate exaggeration of both Lee’s performance and Park’s direction is what draws us into a suspension of moral disbelief, a sense of complicity with Man-su’s outrageous scheme.—
Verb
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Studies have found that companies tend to buy cheap, low-quality carbon credits, which run a risk of exaggerating their carbon reduction claims or providing results that would have happened anyway, leaving no real climate benefit.—
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Democratic officials have pushed back, arguing that the president is exaggerating the need to combat crime in the city for political gain.—
Verb
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As his career skyrocketed, Chalamet spent years quietly training — aided by an expert on the sport, Diego Schaaf — by pulling a table-tennis setup along to productions ranging from Dune to Wonka.—
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Notre Dame didn’t mess around in pulling all that material together, looking like a program with a plan before the portal opened.—
Verb
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Despite being flat to the ground, the sleek and streamlined design of a slim sneaker elongates your legs, creating a lengthening effect that balances your proportions beautifully.—
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Stefanski’s odds have been lengthening while Harbaugh’s are shortening.—
Verb
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Witnesses and local leaders have contradicted that claim, saying Good was trying to leave and steering away from the agent.—
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Imagine trying to build a sturdy wall with bricks that keep floating away into thin air—that’s essentially what happens when cathode material dissolves in a thermal battery.—
Verb
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Many expected to see significant belt tightening, my colleague Melody Gutierrez wrote, after the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office warned that California faces a nearly $18-billion budget shortfall.—
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Meanwhile, several states spanning the political spectrum, including Arizona, Arkansas, and Vermont are tightening laws or considering additional restrictions on the ATMs.—
Noun
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But in contrast to these common caricatures, surveys of public opinion consistently show that most people around the world hold positive views of wolves, often overwhelmingly so.—
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Chamberlain also included a drawing of the girls in the group done on a paper tablecloth which included caricatures of Carpenter, Sandoval, Chamberlain and Sarah, as well as Carpenter's friend Amber Mark.—
Cite this Entry
“Stretching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretching. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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