to stretch out
20
3.4
- phrasal verb
- /strɛtʃ aʊt/
:
extender
- To reach the top shelf, he had to stretch out his arm as far as he could.
- stretched out hand
I just like kind of widen my eyes to kind of try and like like stretch the skin out.
- I just like kind of widen my eyes to kind of try and like like stretch the skin out.
- Lift weights, do jiu jitsu, go for runs, stretch out, eat good, stop drinking.
- I'm just really trying to stretch my hip area out because honestly, that's the only area that gets, like, really bad after I run.
Examples
-
Just really stretch your arm out.
-
I'm just really trying to stretch my hip area out because honestly, that's the only area that gets, like, really bad after I run.
-
Well, what I think we ought to do is just stretch out down there on the beach... and do absolutely nothing.
-
I'll, um, just stretch it out here for a while.
-
At long last, the man lay stretched out on his back and looked up at the sky.
Fiction book (1995) -
At a quarter to ten, Laurie stretched out on the floor and fell asleep.
Fiction book (1992) -
At his motion, I obediently pulled up my feet and stretched out on the sofa.
Fiction book (1992) -
Ipa sat on the mat reluctantly, but it felt wonderful to stretch her legs out.
Fiction book (1995) -
Posy leans into his arm, stretches her legs straight out in front of her.
Fiction book (1991) -
I have my hands out like this and I bring up one leg and just stretch out the hammies and I flex and point my toe.
Synonyms
265
2.7
To reach out with your body or make something longer
185
1.5
Move part of your body to full length to make muscles less tight
89
3.5
To put a hand forward to show or give something
73
2.7
To stretch a hand toward something to touch it
61
3.2
To extend beyond a surface or edge
18
3.4
Hold a part of your body away from you, like a hand
9
3.9
To make something reach forward, like an arm or wing
9
5.4
To stretch your neck to see something better
5
3.8
Lie or sit with arms and legs spread out and relaxed
1
6.1
To reach out a hand or arm toward something to offer help
To stretch the body or limbs to make them feel less stiff
To stick out from something
Antonyms
- Informal
57
2.8
To move your body so your arms and legs are close together to feel warm and safe
How Far
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to lie down with your body fully extended' is directly derivable from 'stretch' (to extend) combined with the particle 'out' (indicating outward/fully), yielding the sense of extending the body outward/fully. This compositional motion/extension pattern is common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will likely understand the MWE.
Etymology
Stretch out comes from the simple image of making part of your body longer to reach something. Imagine pushing your arm or neck out so your body stretches forward — that's why it means 'to extend your body, neck, or a part of your body to reach, see, or make yourself more comfortable'.