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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Stretch

/stɹɛt͡ʃ/ · verb

Meaning

(transitive) To lengthen by pulling..

Definitions by Sense

  1. (transitive) To lengthen by pulling.
  2. (intransitive) To lengthen when pulled.
  3. (transitive) To pull tight.
  4. (intransitive, transitive) To extend one’s limbs or another part of the body, for example in order to improve the elasticity of one's muscles.
  5. (intransitive) To extend physically, especially from a limit point and/or to a limit point.
  6. (figuratively, transitive) To get more use than expected from a limited resource.
  7. (figuratively, transitive) To make inaccurate by exaggeration.
  8. (transitive) To make great demands on the capacity or resources of something.

Example Sentences

I stretched the rubber band until it almost broke.
The rubber band stretched almost to the breaking point.
The inner membrane […] because it would stretch and yield, remained unbroken.
First, stretch the skin over the frame of the drum.
I always stretch my muscles before exercising.
When the cat woke up, it yawned and stretched.
The beach stretches from Cresswell to Amble.
Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path[…]. It twisted and turned,[…]and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. And, back of the lawn, was a big, old-fashioned house, with piazzas stretching in front of it, and all blazing with lights.

Synonyms for stretch

Antonyms for stretch

Related Words

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does stretch mean?

Stretch means (transitive) To lengthen by pulling..

What is a synonym for stretch?

Common synonyms include hyperbolize, overemphasize, overstate, big up.

What is the opposite of stretch?

Possible antonyms include compress, contract, shrink.

How do you use stretch in a sentence?

I stretched the rubber band until it almost broke.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.