stretch marks

plural noun

: striae on the skin (as of the hips, abdomen, and breasts) from excessive stretching and rupture of elastic fibers especially due to pregnancy or obesity

Examples of stretch marks in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The skin on my tummy was covered in stretch marks. — Jillian Pretzel, Parents, 9 June 2026 And those proudly showing off their hairy chests, and pimply backs, scars from surgeries and stretch marks from a life well lived. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 2 June 2026 This same blend of oils is also known for helping improve skin tone, discoloration from stretch marks, and overall firmness with continued use. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 24 Nov. 2025 Mason added that symptoms such as easy bruising, hormonal changes or purple stretch marks could point to an endocrine disorder rather than a cosmetic issue. — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stretch marks

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stretch marks was in 1956

Rhymes for stretch marks

See All Rhymes for stretch marks

Browse Nearby Words

stretch limousine
stretch marks
stretch one's legs
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stretch marks.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stretch%20marks. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

stretch marks

noun plural
: striae on the skin (as of the hips, abdomen, and breasts) from excessive stretching and rupture of elastic fibers especially due to pregnancy or obesity
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All