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stretch

stretch

69 5.5
A continuous period of time spent doing something difficult or boring
  • noun
  • /strɛtʃ/
translation icon : periodo
  • Has dealing with COVID been the most difficult stretch for you in your entire film career?
  • a long stretch
  • a stretch of time
  • years at a stretch

It was, it was a tough stretch, pun intended.

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Examples

  • A week or two weeks at a stretch, any longer and my retreat becomes tainted with wistfulness.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • And a year is twelve months; it's a considerable stretch of time.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • OK, so we're getting to the home stretch and we are.

  • Before we go for the home stretch and solve these problems.

  • So that was that stretch where I didn't work for three years.

  • At least during this stretch, he'd try to leave it alone.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • But still, there were long stretches of the Middle Ages where nothing changed.

  • I think I felt the last time I felt burnt out was the last stretch of that dissertation.

  • Having achieved more than so many men before her, Trudy Ederle now attempts the final stretch of the swim.

  • After a long stretch of working nights, she finally took a break to recharge.

Synonyms

stint
vsstretch
77 5.0

A short fixed time spent doing a job

covers an uninterrupted time, often for difficult or unwanted tasks

Antonyms

1.0

A short rest from work or activity

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

run
514 3.7
period
2.1
stretch
69 5.5
stint
77 5.0
spell
109 2.7
moment
1.0

Surface Forms

stretch singular
stretches plural

Etymology

Stretch comes from the old English streccan meaning 'to make long'. People used the idea of a long length for time too, so a long period of doing something is called a stretch.