Stretch

/stɹɛt͡ʃ/ noun, verb, slang

noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Middle school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: An act of stretching.
  • Grammar: stretch is listed as noun, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: abduct, adaptability, adaptable, adaptive.
  • Useful contrasts: shrunken, break, brief.
  • Usage evidence: Janet sure knows how to stretch a dollar.

How to use "stretch"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "stretch" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "stretch" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "stretch" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "stretch" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "stretch" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "abduct" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "stretch", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An act of stretching. countable, uncountable

    "I was right in the middle of a stretch when the phone rang."

  2. 2
    the act of physically reaching or thrusting out wordnet
  3. 3
    The ability to lengthen when pulled. countable, uncountable

    "That rubber band has quite a bit of stretch."

  4. 4
    extension to or beyond the ordinary limit wordnet
  5. 5
    A course of thought which diverts from straightforward logic, or requires extraordinary belief or exaggeration. countable, uncountable

    "It's a bit of a stretch to call Boris Karloff a comedian."

Show 19 more definitions
  1. 6
    exercise designed to extend the limbs and muscles to their full extent wordnet
  2. 7
    A segment of a journey or route. countable, uncountable

    "It was an easy trip except for the last stretch, which took forever."

  3. 8
    a straightaway section of a racetrack wordnet
  4. 9
    A segment or length of material. countable, uncountable

    "a stretch of cloth"

  5. 10
    the capacity for being stretched wordnet
  6. 11
    A walk. UK, archaic, countable, slang, uncountable

    "In the afternoon I went for a stretch into the country, & about 4 it cleared up pretty well, so I hurried back & we got a cart & drove to Bassano, a little town about 8 miles off, that we wanted to see."

  7. 12
    a large and unbroken expanse or distance wordnet
  8. 13
    A quick pitching delivery used when runners are on base where the pitcher slides his leg instead of lifting it. countable, uncountable
  9. 14
    an unbroken period of time during which you do something wordnet
  10. 15
    A long reach in the direction of the ball with a foot remaining on the base by a first baseman in order to catch the ball sooner. countable, uncountable
  11. 16
    Term of address for a tall person. countable, informal, uncountable

    "“Hey, Stretch,” he shouted at a tall, spectacled co-worker, “turn the fucking station, will you? You know I can't stand Rush, and it's all they play on this one. If I hear those assholes whine 'Tom Sawyer' one more time, I may go on a fucking killing spree."

  12. 17
    The homestretch, the final straight section of the track leading to the finish. countable, uncountable
  13. 18
    A length of time. countable, uncountable

    "After the harvest there was a stretch of clear dry weather, and the animals toiled harder than ever […]"

  14. 19
    A length of time.; Extended daylight hours, especially said of the evening in springtime when compared to the shorter winter days. Ireland, countable, uncountable

    "There is a grand stretch in the evenings."

  15. 20
    A length of time.; The period of the season between the trade deadline and the beginning of the playoffs. countable, uncountable

    "The '42 Cardinals are best known for their amazing stretch run. St. Louis won 43 of their last 51 games and came back from a double-digit deficit in games in early August to edge out the Dodgers for the N.L. flag."

  16. 21
    A length of time.; A jail or prison term. countable, slang, uncountable

    ""Of course, if Cripps likes to stay here and do a stretch for burglary, well and good.""

  17. 22
    A length of time.; A jail or prison term.; A jail or prison term of one year's duration. countable, slang, uncountable
  18. 23
    A length of time.; A single uninterrupted sitting; a turn. countable, uncountable
  19. 24
    Ellipsis of stretch limousine. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To lengthen by pulling. transitive

    "I stretched the rubber band until it almost broke."

  2. 2
    extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body wordnet
  3. 3
    To lengthen when pulled. intransitive

    "The rubber band stretched almost to the breaking point."

  4. 4
    extend one's body or limbs wordnet
  5. 5
    To pull tight. transitive

    "First, stretch the skin over the frame of the drum."

Show 20 more definitions
  1. 6
    increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance wordnet
  2. 7
    To extend one’s limbs or another part of the body, for example in order to improve the elasticity of one's muscles. intransitive, transitive

    "I always stretch my muscles before exercising."

  3. 8
    become longer by being stretched and pulled wordnet
  4. 9
    To extend physically, especially from a limit point and/or to a limit point. intransitive

    "The beach stretches from Cresswell to Amble."

  5. 10
    make long or longer by pulling and stretching wordnet
  6. 11
    To get more use than expected from a limited resource. figuratively, transitive

    "I managed to stretch my coffee supply a few more days."

  7. 12
    corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones wordnet
  8. 13
    To make inaccurate by exaggeration. figuratively, transitive

    "To say crossing the street was brave is stretching the meaning of "brave" considerably."

  9. 14
    extend the scope or meaning of; often unduly wordnet
  10. 15
    To make great demands on the capacity or resources of something. transitive

    "Her bizarre explanation really stretches credulity."

  11. 16
    pull in opposite directions wordnet
  12. 17
    To increase. transitive

    "Yakubu took advantage of John Ruddy's error to put the visitors back in front, with Chris Samba's header stretching their advantage."

  13. 18
    lie down comfortably wordnet
  14. 19
    To increase, to grow. intransitive

    "As I sat in the waiting room, the minutes stretched into hours."

  15. 20
    extend or stretch out to a greater or the full length wordnet
  16. 21
    To sail by the wind under press of canvas.

    "The ship stretched to the eastward."

  17. 22
    occupy a large, elongated area wordnet
  18. 23
    To make a pulse or particle bunch longer by applying dispersion to it. transitive

    "Diffraction gratings are by far the most common elements used to stretch and compress pulses because of their substantial angular dispersion, […]"

  19. 24
    To execute by hanging. archaic, slang, transitive
  20. 25
    To stretch the truth; to exaggerate. colloquial, intransitive, obsolete

    "a man apt to stretch in his report of facts"

Adjective
  1. 1
    easily stretched wordnet
  2. 2
    having an elongated seating area wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
abductadaptabilityadaptableadaptiveadd toadulterate

Example

"Janet sure knows how to stretch a dollar."

Common questions

What does "stretch" mean?

An act of stretching.

What is a synonym for "stretch"?

Common synonyms include: abduct, adaptability, adaptable, adaptive, add to, adulterate.

How do you use "stretch" in a sentence?

Janet sure knows how to stretch a dollar.

How do you pronounce "stretch"?

Pronounced /stɹɛt͡ʃ/.

Etymology

From Middle English strecchen, from Old English streċċan (“to stretch, hold out, extend, spread out, prostrate”), from Proto-West Germanic *strakkjan (“to stretch, make taut or tight”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)treg-, *streg-, *treg- (“stiff, rigid”). Cognate with West Frisian strekke, Dutch strekken (“to stretch, straighten”), German strecken (“to stretch, straighten, elongate”), Danish strække (“to stretch”), Swedish sträcka (“to stretch”), Dutch strak (“taut, tight”), Albanian shtriqem (“to stretch”). More at stark.

More for "stretch"

Synonyms

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