v. 1 extend, reach; span, spread Her memory stretches back to the first World War His Texas ranch stretches as far as the eye can see. 2 distend, lengthen, elongate, widen, broaden, swell, draw or pull out, balloon, inflate, enlarge, expand, increase, dilate, blow up Stretch the netting to cover the frame 3 overtax, overextend; warp, strain, distort, bend, break We like to stretch our employees in this company He is stretching the rules by allowing undergraduates to take his course.
n. 4 elasticity, give, resilience, resiliency, stretchability, stretchiness There isn't much stretch left in this old rubber band 5 extent, reach, span, spread, expanse, sweep, area, tract, US section There is a stretch of desert just south of the coast 6 time, stint, period, spell, term, tour (of duty), Colloq US and Canadian hitch He signed up for a two-year stretch in the navy He once did a six-month stretch in prison for assault.