1. (of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
   "well-stretched muscles are less susceptible to injury"
    
2. Extended or spread over a wide area or distance
   "broad fields lay stretched on both sides of us"

1. Extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body
   "Stretch your legs!";
   - extend
    
2. Occupy a large, elongated area
   "The park stretched beneath the train line";
   - stretch along
    
3. Make longer or of full length; remove folds by pulling
   "stretch out that piece of cloth";
   - unfold, stretch out, extend
    
4. Make long or longer by pulling and stretching
   "stretch the fabric";
   - elongate
    
5. Become longer by being stretched and pulled
   "The fabric stretches"
    
6. Extend one's body or limbs
   "Let's stretch for a minute — we've been sitting here for over 3 hours";
   - stretch out
    
7. Pull in opposite directions
   "During the Inquisition, the torturers would stretch their victims on a rack"
    
8. Extend the scope or meaning of; often unduly
   "Stretch the limits"; "stretch my patience"; "stretch the imagination"
    
9. Lie down comfortably
   "To enjoy the picnic, we stretched out on the grass";
   - stretch out
    
10. Corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones
    "The dishonest merchant stretched the spices with cheaper materials";
    - load, adulterate, dilute, debase
     
11. Increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance
    "stretch the soup by adding some more cream";
    - extend

See also: extended, flexible, flexile

Type of: be, broaden, change form, change shape, corrupt, deform, draw, extend, grow, increase, lengthen, lie, lie down, move, pull, spoil, strain, tense, tense up, widen

Antonym: contract

Encyclopedia: Stretched