STRETCHES Synonyms: 207 Similar and Opposite Words

stretches 1 of 2

noun

plural of stretch

as in expanses

a wide space or area a narrow stretch of beach below the cliffs

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Relevance

as in whiles

an indefinite but usually short period of time there was a cardinal at our bird feeder for a short stretch last spring

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as in ranges

the distance or extent between possible extremes the stories were written over a considerable stretch of time

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as in distances

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

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stretches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stretch

as in exaggerates

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in pulls

to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure I stretched a back muscle, and the pain is killing me

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as in lengthens

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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as in tries

to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress your whining is stretching my patience to the limit

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as in tightens

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

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.

Recent Examples of stretches

Noun

Sometimes the family stayed in their car, but the girls were also left for long stretches with various friends of their mom’s. — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026 Larger projects, like resurfacing long stretches of major streets, take more planning and coordination with the city. — Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Reynolds understood how to sell the new pen, too, with advertisements promising an avant-garde writing utensil, capable of enduring long stretches of writing with no need to replenish the ink. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Oct. 2026 Halftime or commercial-break mini games protect energy during the slow stretches when guests might otherwise drift toward their phones. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026 Greg Vaughn, Willy Adames and Matt Garza are the most prominent players with lengthy stretches on both teams, and Bauers made his big league debut with the Rays in 2018. — ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026 Jones showed stretches of that growth last season, his first full campaign with the Panthers. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026 Caporaso went 4-of-14 against Reeves and 7-foot, 255-pound Paul Mbiya for stretches. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026 Starting with their quarterback, Arch Manning once again looked less than adequate for large stretches of the game. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Verb

More specifically, the Base-01 stretches out over a patch of earthen floor measuring 183 sq ft (17 sq m) – about the same amount of floor as this handsome Ikea tiny home. — New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2026 The first island chain, which stretches from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines, is a central geographic feature in US and Chinese military planning. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 Viewed from the waters of Turner Creek, a serpentine tributary east of Savannah, the dock stretches so far across the marsh that even those with 20-20 vision must squint to see where planking meets terra firma. — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 24 Oct. 2026 The dredging project stretches from 61st Street to 72nd Place and is scheduled to conclude in February 2027. — Luzdelia Caballero, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 Not far from my home on the western shore of Lake Champlain lies the ore bed that in 1875 produced 10 percent of America’s iron ore; the #21 pit, once storied, stretches two hundred feet wide and three hundred feet deep. — Bill McKibben, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026 Its border with Yemen stretches more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) through rugged desert areas. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 Bass goes to Ramanland Bass went hard after Raman at this week’s NBC4/Telemundo 52 debate, accusing her of neglecting constituents in her district, which stretches from Silver Lake to the San Fernando Valley. — Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 The company's relationship with OpenAI stretches back further, and as of September 2025 was worth at least $22 billion including a 5-year agreement to provide datacenters and technology. — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretches

Noun

Deciduous trees the color of fresh green apples line the riverbank, then dot the vast expanses of conifer forest that stretch up into the hills.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Entrepreneur Emma Grede attributed her ability to keep brands relevant to her complete assuredness in her intuition, which was honed in the expanses of her triumphs—and failures.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of expanses

Noun

The current design conversation is reframing them as intentional styling tools, which should push manufacturers toward better fabrics, cleaner fits and broader color ranges.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
To his point, expanding size ranges does involve investment in pattern-making, grading, sampling, production, and inventory planning.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of ranges

Noun

Scientists have been able to measure quantum effects in larger and more complex systems and over great distances, blurring the line once thought to separate the scale of observer and observed.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
According to the researchers, inflation stretched tiny quantum fluctuations across vast distances in the early universe.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of distances

Verb

Armour points to two recent plays, one involving Chelsea Gray and another involving Kiah Stokes, as proof that Clark exaggerates contact and creates false narratives about opposing players.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
The best place to start is a sporting culture that exaggerates accomplishments and rewards capitalistic success before the sporting variety.

— Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of exaggerates

Verb

Just before noon, Green drives through the intersection of Magnolia and Beaty streets, then suddenly pulls to the side of the road.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026
Its forward motion carries it around Earth while gravity pulls it toward the planet.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of pulls

Verb

The formula pairs glycerin and flexible polymers to coat and define every lash without weighing them down, while the dual-length brush prevents clumps and lengthens from root to tip.

— Madison San Miguel, Allure, 15 Oct. 2026
Aerohart also lengthens the Aviator's Ember to give users more leverage in plunging the piston.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of lengthens

Verb

Seventy thousand law enforcement officers, along with helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons, will be deployed across France as President Emmanuel Macron’s government tries to ward off another weekend of violent protests.

— Tyler Speicher, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Set in their modest ways, the couple tries to settle into their lives in Norway, having moved there after the death of Mihai’s parents to be closer to Lisbet’s family.

— Tomris Laffly, Time, 23 Oct. 2026