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stretch

stretch

121 2.7
A long continuous part of land, road, or water
  • noun
  • /strɛtʃ/
translation icon : tramo
  • Often, only a narrow stretch of beach is left between tall hotels and the surf.
  • a long stretch
  • a stretch of land
  • a stretch of river

That's a two mile stretch of perfect skating.

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Examples

  • Snow had collected to a depth of eight feet all along this stretch of highway.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The restaurant took up a long stretch of beach where palms were growing.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • And this is the last stretch of Little Italy left in New York.

  • On this stretch of the US Mexico border, there is already a physical barrier.

  • Its location on a stretch of sandy Mediterranean beach makes it popular with Israeli visitors.

    Academic text (2002)
  • But the Confederates had gained a long stretch of the Brock Road.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I was in Yakutat, the only settlement on a 300-mile stretch of coast in southeastern Alaska.

    Academic text (1990)
  • On our way, Lonnie spotted Eugene's old Chrysler parked on a dark stretch of Thirty-Second Street.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • On this stretch of the US Mexico border, there is already a physical barrier.

  • That's a two mile stretch of perfect skating.

Synonyms

length
vsstretch
91 1.0

A long narrow piece of material like rope

means a continuous unbroken area or run rather than just a narrow measure
extent
vsstretch
55 3.5

The area or distance something covers

refers to an actual continuous area or length instead of an abstract amount
expanse
vsstretch
46 4.6

A wide open area like land or water

is narrower and focuses on a continuous long section rather than wide openness

Antonyms

184 3.2

A small piece broken off something larger

Idioms

5 5.3

To make a story seem better than it really is

Not true or possible in any way

Compounds

13 3.7

A narrow line on the skin that appears after fast weight gain or pregnancy

4 2.3

Trousers made from elastic fabric that fit close to the body

stretch receptor
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A small part in a muscle that senses when it stretches

5.7

A situation when you use all your energy and ability

A gentle stretch that relaxes the back and increases flexibility

stretch reflex
  • Specialized
6.5

An automatic muscle tightening that happens when a muscle is pulled

How Long

region
977 2.0
expanse
46 4.6
stretch
121 2.7
strip
207 3.0
patch
153 2.7

Surface Forms

stretch singular
stretches plural

Etymology

Stretch comes from the old English streccan meaning 'to make long'. A long, unbroken area like a road or field feels 'stretched out', so we call that continuous length a stretch.