stretch

1 of 3

verb

stretched; stretching; stretches

transitive verb

1
: to extend (one's limbs, one's body, etc.) in a reclining position
2
: to reach out : extend
stretched out her arms
3
: to extend in length
stretched his neck to see what was going on
4
: to fell with or as if with a blow
5
: to cause the limbs of (a person) to be pulled especially in torture
6
: to draw up (one's body) from a cramped, stooping, or relaxed position
7
: to pull taut
canvas stretched on a frame
8
a
: to enlarge or distend especially by force
b
: to extend or expand as if by physical force
stretch one's mind with a good book
c
: strain
stretched his already thin patience
9
: to cause to reach or continue (as from one point to another or across a space)
stretch a wire between two posts
10
a
: to amplify or enlarge beyond natural or proper limits
the rules can be stretched this once
b
: to expand (as by improvisation) to fulfill a larger function
stretching a dollar
11
: to extend (a hit) to an extra base usually by fast or daring running
stretch a single into a double

intransitive verb

1
a
: to become extended in length or breadth or both : spread
broad plains stretching to the sea
b
: to extend over a continuous period
the dynasty stretches back several centuries
2
: to become extended without breaking
3
a
: to extend one's body or limbs
stretched before jogging
wanted to stretch out on the sofa
b
: to lie down at full length
stretchability noun
stretchable adjective
stretchy adjective

stretch

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: an exercise of something (such as the understanding or the imagination) beyond ordinary or normal limits
their conclusion seemed like a bit of a stretch
b
: an extension of the scope or application of something
a stretch of language
2
: the extent to which something may be stretched
3
a
: the act of stretching : the state of being stretched
a good stretch for legs
b
: the position of a pitcher standing sideways to home plate so as to keep a runner close to a base
pitching from the stretch
4
a
: an extent in length or area
an open stretch of road
b
: a continuous period of time
can write for eight hours at a stretch
5
: a walk to relieve fatigue
6
: a term of imprisonment
served a 10-year stretch
7
a
: either of the straight sides of a racecourse
especially : homestretch
b
: a final stage (as of a contest or season)
won some crucial games down the stretch
8
: the capacity for being stretched : elasticity
a waistband with lots of stretch
9
: a stretch limousine

stretch

3 of 3

adjective

1
: easily stretched : elastic
a stretch wig
2
: longer than the standard size
a stretch limousine
Phrases
stretch a point
: to go beyond what is strictly warranted in making a claim or concession
stretch one's legs
1
: to extend the legs
2
: to take a walk in order to relieve stiffness caused by prolonged sitting

Examples of stretch in a Sentence

Verb Don't yank on my sweater. You'll stretch it. The elastic waistband of my pants won't stretch any more. It's important to stretch before you exercise. The baby stretched and yawned. She woke up and stretched her arms above her head. She stretched over us to open the window. She stretched her hand toward him. She stretched the canvas over the wooden frame. The T-shirt was stretched tight over his belly. A big banner was stretched across the doorway. Noun a 60-mile stretch of beach an open stretch of highway These are good stretches for your leg muscles. I always spend a few minutes doing stretches before I exercise. I can feel the stretch in the back of my legs. Adjective stretch fabrics that don't wrinkle or sag
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Completed in 1792, the landmark road stretches from the Holburne Museum in Sydney Park to the Laura Place Fountain. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 Efforts to regulate adult content online stretch back nearly 30 years, to the early days of the internet. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Webster tends to emphasize the music over vocals, grooving with her band and stretching tracks out for minutes at a time. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 Pirog has largely dialed back his noisy, genre-shredding pyrotechnics to accommodate Lewis’ fluid, fiery playing, which gives the chunky rhythms and rubbery grooves of Canty’s drums and Lally’s bass more room to stretch out and unwind. Reed Jackson, SPIN, 15 Mar. 2024 But the roots for its continued success stretch back a bit further. Brent Simon, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 But when millions of users and mods turned out to prefer dystopia, Huffman ended up committing to maintaining the old interface alongside the new one—stretching thin his engineers. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 It’s constructed with an elastic band that seamlessly stretches around your bustline to lift without any jabbing or restricting, which can occur with wired styles. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 Nine states from California to Montana to New Mexico are on alert for the snow and wind, with winter storm watches and warnings stretching across the Rockies. Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 13 Mar. 2024
Noun
Check out the slideshow above for those and more stories on a rough stretch for Apple. Quartz Staff, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 These long, meandering stretches of stark white sand set the scene for dreamy color palettes of crystalline blues, jungle greens, and earthy clay and wood. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2024 Most spring break activity centers around a 10-block stretch of Ocean Drive known for its art deco hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. David Fischer, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 In other words: 12 of their 15 losses have come during three woeful stretches. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 It's positioned on the Mississippi Sound, an embayment of the Gulf of Mexico, which provides an awe-worthy stretch of white-sand beach with virtually no crowds. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 However, a 50-mile stretch of the highway remains closed north of Mammoth Mountain — all the way to Bridgeport — meaning road access to the ski resort from Reno remains closed. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Some of it is schematic, with the Heat relying on its press zone more often during this 10-3 stretch. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 The road was reopened to passenger vehicles Monday morning and semitrailers Monday afternoon, with chains required on a 40-mile stretch from Baxter to Truckee, according to California’s transportation agency. Susannah Cullinane, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024
Adjective
These lightning-fast neutral shoes feature a sleek, minimalist, and breathable upper with stretch woven fabric that moves with the foot. Sarah Kester, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2024 Its stretch fleece side panels provide impressive freedom of movement even if the fit is fairly snug. Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2024 Imagine if Mark Zuckerberg started wearing stretch Coperni dresses, for example—or if Elon Musk started wearing Cardi B’s Y/Project thigh-highs. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2023 Imagine if Mark Zuckerberg started wearing stretch Coperni dresses, for example…or if Elon Musk started wearing Cardi B’s Y/Project thigh-highs. Daniel Rodgers, Glamour, 12 Dec. 2023 This set comes in six different colorful stripe options and is made from a comfortable yet stretch modal material that keeps you cozy without overheating. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 6 Dec. 2023 The fabric has a flexible, comfortable four-way stretch, and the silhouette is built with a stretch-mesh gusset that (comfortably) hugs your crotch while promoting breathability. Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2023 The game looks like a full-fledged animated cartoon, with characters that squash, stretch, and smear in ways that add a real sense of momentum and life to the proceedings. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 18 Oct. 2023 Columbia Women’s Leslie Falls Nocturnal Hiking Pant The Columbia Women’s Leslie Falls Nocturnal Pant is an active-fit hiking pant that is meant to conquer trails with a stretch nylon fabric that moves with you. Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stretch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English strecchen, from Old English streccan; akin to Old High German strecchan to stretch, Old English stræc firm, severe

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1954, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stretch was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near stretch

Cite this Entry

“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stretch. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stretch

1 of 3 verb
1
: to extend (as one's body) in a flat position
stretched out on the bed
2
: to reach out
stretched my arm
3
a
: to extend or become extended in length or width or both : spread
stretched his neck to see what was going on
b
: to extend over a continuous period
the dynasty stretches back several centuries
4
: to draw up (one's body) from a cramped, stooping, or relaxed position
awoke and stretched myself
5
: to pull tight
stretch the canvas on the frame
6
a
: to enlarge or expand especially by force
b
: to make excessive demands on : strain
stretched her already thin patience
7
: to cause to reach or continue
stretch a wire between two posts
8
: exaggerate
stretch the truth
9
: to become extended without breaking
10
: to extend one's body or limbs
stretched before jogging
stretchability noun
stretchable adjective

stretch

2 of 3 noun
1
: an exercise of something beyond ordinary or normal limits
stretch of the imagination
2
: the extent to which something may be stretched
3
: the act of stretching (as of the body) : the state of being stretched
4
a
: an extent in length or area
a stretch of woods
b
: a continuous period of time
silent for a stretch
5
: a term of imprisonment
6
: either of the straight sides of a racecourse
especially : homestretch sense 1
7
: the ability to be stretched

stretch

3 of 3 adjective
1
: easily stretched : elastic
stretch socks
2
: longer than the standard size
a stretch limousine

Medical Definition

stretch

1 of 2 transitive verb
1
: to extend in length
was told to stretch the leg muscles before running
2
: to enlarge or distend especially by force

intransitive verb

1
: to become extended in length or breadth
2
: to extend one's body or limbs

stretch

2 of 2 noun
: the act of stretching : the state of being stretched
a muscle or group of muscles in stretchC. R. Houck

More from Merriam-Webster on stretch

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