stretch

to extend, spread, or place (something) so as to reach from one point or place to another: to stretch a rope across a road.

to draw tight or taut: to stretch the strings of a violin.

to lengthen, widen, distend, or enlarge by tension: to stretch a rubber band.

to draw out, extend, or enlarge unduly: The jacket was stretched at the elbows.

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.

to extend or strain (oneself) to the utmost, as by intense exertion; tax.

to increase the quantity of (a beverage, food, paint, etc.) by dilution or admixing: They caught the bartender stretching the gin with water.

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.

to extend over a distance or area or in a particular direction: The forest stretches for miles.

to extend in time: His memory stretches back to his early childhood.

to stretch oneself by extending the limbs and lengthening the muscles to the utmost: to stretch and yawn.

to become stretched, or admit of being stretched, to greater length, width, etc., as any elastic or ductile material.

Radio and Television. to reduce the pace or slow down the action of a radio or television program.

a continuous length, distance, tract, or expanse: a stretch of meadow.

Horse Racing. the backstretch or homestretch of a racetrack.

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.

an extent in time; duration: for a stretch of ten years.

elasticity or capacity for extension.

Slang. a term of imprisonment: He's doing a stretch in the pen.

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.

(initial capital letter) a nickname for a tall, lanky person.

to extend (the limbs, body, etc)

(tr) to reach or suspend (a rope, etc) from one place to another

(tr) to draw tight; tighten

(often foll by out, forward, etc) to reach or hold (out); extend

(intr usually foll by over) to extend in time: the course stretched over three months

(intr; foll by for, over, etc) (of a region, etc) to extend in length or area

(intr) (esp of a garment) to be capable of expanding, as to a larger size: socks that will stretch

(tr) to put a great strain upon or extend to the limit

to injure (a muscle, tendon, ligament, etc) by means of a strain or sprain

(tr often foll by out) to make do with (limited resources): to stretch one's budget

(tr) informal to expand or elaborate (a story, etc) beyond what is credible or acceptable: that's stretching it a bit

(tr; often passive) to extend, as to the limit of one's abilities or talents

archaic, or slang to hang or be hanged by the neck

stretch a point

stretch one's legs to take a walk, esp after a period of inactivity

extent in time, length, area, etc

horse racing the section or sections of a racecourse that are straight, esp the final straight section leading to the finishing line

slang a term of imprisonment

at a stretch mainly British