STRETCHING Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

stretching 1 of 2

noun

as in extension

the act of making longer excessive stretching can cause the fabric to tear or lose its elasticity

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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stretching

2 of 2

verb

present participle of stretch

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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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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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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

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 stretching

Noun

Haunted Mansion props on the parade floats will include the conservatory casket, cryptic gravestones, gargoyle candleholders, watchful busts, haunted armor and stretching room portraits. — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2026 Regular movement, stretching, and strengthening exercises can help maintain joint mobility. — Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, HEALTH, 17 Aug. 2026 Snapshot is a stirring blend of gothic noir; horror documentary and found footage stretching reality in an innovative way. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026 Most programs only allow media members to watch certain portions of practice, which usually consist of stretching, a few individual drills and quarterbacks throwing against air. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Dancing, jumping, stretching, walking or playing outside all give kids a healthy way to support their body’s natural regulation. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Aug. 2026 Ballistic stretching beats static stretching for court sports, according to Jim Hsu, MD, a Yale Medicine orthopedic surgeon quoted by Yale New Haven Health. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026 By their flexible design, these thread-ectronics also allow coiling, stretching, and bending without breaking. — New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2026 But any movement that engages her core muscles — bending, turning, stretching — is painful and debilitating. — Daniela Suarez, NBC news, 31 July 2026

Verb

There was no mistaking the silver-dollar-thick main beams, each stretching close to 30 inches from base to tip. — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026 Dallas uses motions and shifts in both the run and the pass game; their rushing attack features powerful gap concepts but also layered, stretching zone runs. — Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 The images also showed bright and dark rays—like butterfly wings—stretching from the crater’s center. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026 Respect the sea Those impossibly clear waters exist because of ancient Posidonia seagrass meadows stretching between Ibiza and Formentera. — Chloe Sachdev, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026 The key is stretching your elbow up high and isolating your triceps. — Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 19 Aug. 2026 With the heat wave stretching into its third day on Wednesday, Mallery said the impact can be more serious for some. — Marissa Armas, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 Following the military conquests initiated by Genghis Khan in 1206, the Mongols unified vast territories stretching from the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the Persian Gulf and the Danube River, creating the largest contiguous land empire in history. — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026 The latest seasonal guidance shows a broad precipitation signal stretching from California and the Southwest across Texas, the Gulf Coast and toward the East Coast. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretching

Noun

The crux of the dispute surrounds the validity of a contract extension option for Mateta, one which Palace exercised in December 2024.

— Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
The Los Angeles Rams traded for former Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie and then signed him to a four-year, $124 million extension that includes $100 million guaranteed.

— Jeff Fedotin, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of extension

Noun

The backlash is usually predictable, every wave of visible mobility aid use brings accusations of exaggeration and attention-seeking, aimed almost entirely at young women.

— Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Distracting from real issues These conspiracy theories are more than exaggerations for a broader audience.

— Aaron Coy Moulton, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of exaggeration

Verb

And among those areas that could face a lengthening drought is the Pacific Northwest because of the way the jet stream moves during El Nino.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
The Philadelphia Phillies entered the trade deadline widely expected to pursue a significant upgrade, with much of the speculation centered on adding a right-handed outfielder capable of lengthening the lineup beyond the infield staples.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of lengthening

Verb

Your children therefore may not understand the scope of the difference between trying a swimsuit on a figure that looks like them online and not wearing clothes at all, according to Steel.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Now, Ramirez and Chang are trying to bring the same sense of connection to their own classrooms.

— Melissa May, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of trying

Verb

Its analysis suggests a CPI rate above 3% has historically corresponded with more than 100 basis points of tightening during the first year of Fed hiking cycles.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
How Wells Fargo and Truist handle work-from-home Bank of America is not the only local financial institution tightening its office attendance requirements.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of tightening

Noun

At the same time, neither Marija nor Vytas is ever reduced to a caricature.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
She’s given a worthy avatar in Mason, who brings an appropriately surreal understanding to the goings-on in Effie’s life, but never turns Effie into a caricature.

— Charles Lewis III, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026