1. Act of expanding by lengthening or widening
   "The stretching of the rubber band made it thinner and more fragile"
    
2. Exercise designed to extend the limbs and muscles to their full extent
   "She always begins her workout with a thorough stretching routine";
   - stretch

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

Derived forms: stretchings

Type of: be, broaden, change form, change shape, corrupt, deform, draw, enlargement, exercise, exercising, expansion, extend, grow, increase, lengthen, lie, lie down, move, physical exercise, physical exertion, pull, spoil, strain, tense, tense up, widen, workout

Antonym: contract

Encyclopedia: Stretching