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

Cardio, strength training and stretching have long been the go-to approaches for optimizing health span and lifespan. — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 As long hours spent in the same position can contribute to poor posture, stiffness and other physical issues, experts say regular movement and stretching can help prevent joint pain and muscle weakness. — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Moments later, the duo was back in all of its fantastic polka-dot glory, complete with those oversized masks, and doing some quick stretching/calisthenics to get ready for the show. — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026 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 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

Verb

The seasonal calendar is stretching earlier, chains are competing to own the first sip of autumn, and customers are voting with their orders. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026 Once owned by an heir to the Getty oil fortune, a full-floor penthouse atop San Francisco’s Russian Hill with wraparound terraces and views stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge to the downtown skyline is on the market for nearly $20 million. — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Petoskey Michigan Autumn in Petoskey arrives like a slow-burning sunrise, stretching from late September well into October thanks to the moderating effect of Lake Michigan. — Taryn Shorr-McKee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026 The DuPage Water Commission and the Northwest Suburban Municipal Joint Action Water Agency are partnering to build a lake water intake, purification station and tunnels stretching across two counties. — Marni Pyke, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Other things to prevent damage prior to wearing stilettos can include stretching or massaging the arches of your foot. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026 McConaughey is loquacious with his answers, his Texas drawl stretching out his thoughts and stories. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 24 Aug. 2026 Plus, the stretchy fabric feels soft while staying durable enough for stretching and working out. — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2026 Nearly three decades after its last proper release, Shudder to Think is stretching its third act a little further. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 24 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretching

Noun

This symbolic gesture is a desperate attempt to spark a turnaround for the slugger, whose power outage follows a recent $500 million extension.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Perepadya expressed fear that the automatic extension of Ukraine’s TPS designation will be the country’s last, forcing his family to return home.

— Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 30 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

The financial affiliations have prompted speculation, especially through strands of the Iranian diaspora, who accuse some of its journalists of exaggerating the level of support for figures in the opposition and of advocating for war.

— Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
Thomas cautioned against exaggerating the power of AI agents, however.

— Reuters, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of exaggerating

Verb

Why TikTok livestream selling can drive big sales Three forces are pulling sellers toward livestream commerce, and Duplantis’s numbers reflect all of them.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
Wildfire risk is pushing insurers to underwrite hotels based on physical resilience rather than location alone, and carriers are pulling back from some markets entirely.

— Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of pulling

Verb

Stein attributed the drop to a lengthening backlog for accounts receivable as Nvidia has loosened payment terms for its many backstopping deals.

— Tobias Burns, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Levi’s 726 High-Rise Flare Jeans The flares on these Levi’s jeans start lower on the leg for a cleaner, lengthening line.

— Michelle Rostamian, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of lengthening

Verb

In this perspective, restricting ballot delivery to names on new federal voter lists, and tightening Postal Service handling of ballots, is framed as a necessary safeguard against systemic abuse of mail voting.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
As Russia’s war in Ukraine becomes increasingly costly with no end in sight, the Kremlin has kept tightening its grip over Russian society.

— Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of tightening

Noun

King managed to take the suffocating history of the Indian — the treaties, the massacres, the Hollywood caricatures — and turn it into something conversational, even funny.

— Tommy Orange, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Retailer Target pulled a children’s Halloween costume from its shelves Monday after widespread social media backlash, apologizing for selling a garment critics said evoked racist minstrel caricatures.

— Nancy Jiang, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026