stretch
Americanverb (used with object)
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to draw out or extend (oneself, a body, limbs, wings, etc.) to the full length or extent (often followed byout ).
to stretch oneself out on the ground.
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to hold out, reach forth, or extend (one's arm, head, etc.).
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to extend, spread, or place (something) so as to reach from one point or place to another.
to stretch a rope across a road.
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to draw tight or taut.
to stretch the strings of a violin.
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to lengthen, widen, distend, or enlarge by tension.
to stretch a rubber band.
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to draw out, extend, or enlarge unduly.
The jacket was stretched at the elbows.
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to extend, force, or make serve beyond the normal or proper limits; strain.
to stretch the imagination; to stretch the facts; to stretch food to feed extra guests; to stretch money to keep within a budget.
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to extend or strain (oneself ) to the utmost, as by intense exertion; tax.
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to increase the quantity of (a beverage, food, paint, etc.) by dilution or admixing.
They caught the bartender stretching the gin with water.
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Radio and Television. to prolong or slow down (action or pace) in order not to end too early.
to stretch a show; to stretch the action two minutes.
verb (used without object)
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to recline at full length (usually followed byout ).
to stretch out on a couch.
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to extend the hand or to reach, as for something.
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to extend over a distance or area or in a particular direction.
The forest stretches for miles.
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to extend in time.
His memory stretches back to his early childhood.
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to stretch oneself by extending the limbs and lengthening the muscles to the utmost.
to stretch and yawn.
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to become stretched, or admit of being stretched, to greater length, width, etc., as any elastic or ductile material.
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Radio and Television. to reduce the pace or slow down the action of a radio or television program.
noun
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an act or instance of stretching.
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the state of being stretched.
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a continuous length, distance, tract, or expanse.
a stretch of meadow.
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Horse Racing. the backstretch or homestretch of a racetrack.
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Baseball. a short windup, usually used to keep base runners from taking too long a lead, in which the pitcher starts the pitching motion with hands together at the waist, raises them to or above the head, brings them back to the waist, and, after a momentary pause, delivers the ball.
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an extent in time; duration.
for a stretch of ten years.
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elasticity or capacity for extension.
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Slang. a term of imprisonment.
He's doing a stretch in the pen.
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the act or fact of stretching or extending something beyond reasonable or proper limits.
You wouldn't call her a genius by any stretch of the imagination. It's quite a stretch for me to believe his story.
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(initial capital letter) a nickname for a tall, lanky person.
adjective
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made of synthetic or composite yarn having a sufficiently low denier or having been subjected to any of several special mechanical treatments to permit increased elasticity.
stretch girdle; stretch pants.
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(of yarn) modified or twisted so as to afford high elasticity.
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Also stretched. of or relating to a conveyance, as a limousine or airliner, whose seating area is expanded to carry more passengers or afford greater legroom and to allow space for other comforts and amenities.
verb
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to draw out or extend or be drawn out or extended in length, area, etc
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to extend or be extended to an undue degree, esp so as to distort or lengthen permanently
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to extend (the limbs, body, etc)
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(tr) to reach or suspend (a rope, etc) from one place to another
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(tr) to draw tight; tighten
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to reach or hold (out); extend
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to extend in time
the course stretched over three months
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(intr; foll by for, over, etc) (of a region, etc) to extend in length or area
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(intr) (esp of a garment) to be capable of expanding, as to a larger size
socks that will stretch
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(tr) to put a great strain upon or extend to the limit
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to injure (a muscle, tendon, ligament, etc) by means of a strain or sprain
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to make do with (limited resources)
to stretch one's budget
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informal (tr) to expand or elaborate (a story, etc) beyond what is credible or acceptable
that's stretching it a bit
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(tr; often passive) to extend, as to the limit of one's abilities or talents
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archaic to hang or be hanged by the neck
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to make a concession or exception not usually made
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to exaggerate
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to take a walk, esp after a period of inactivity
noun
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the act of stretching or state of being stretched
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a large or continuous expanse or distance
a stretch of water
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extent in time, length, area, etc
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capacity for being stretched, as in some garments
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( as modifier )
stretch pants
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horse racing the section or sections of a racecourse that are straight, esp the final straight section leading to the finishing line
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slang a term of imprisonment
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with some difficulty; by making a special effort
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if really necessary or in extreme circumstances
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at one time
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Related Words
See lengthen.
Other Word Forms
- nonstretchable adjective
- prestretch verb (used with object)
- stretchability noun
- stretchable adjective
- unstretchable adjective
- unstretched adjective
- well-stretched adjective
Etymology
Origin of stretch
First recorded before 900; Middle English strecchen (verb), Old English streccan; cognate with Dutch strekken, German strecken; akin to Old English stræc “firm, hard,” Middle Dutch strac “stiff.” See stare, stark
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Someone is fishing a kite from electricity cables, the distant sound of a drum beat, a flash of neon when you look up in the walled city's narrow streets to a stretch of sky.
From BBC
But they chipped away to take the lead in the third period and held on down the stretch to snap a two-game losing streak.
From Barron's
This is what happens when the adaptive systems we call on for short-term survival are tapped for an indefinite stretch.
From Salon
And yet, for a 24-hour stretch that ended Friday afternoon, bitcoin was back at that level.
Despite the recent rally, neither stock has outperformed the S&P 500 over the past five years—a dismal stretch for real estate across the board.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
