to stretch along
2
4.2
- phrasal verb
- /strɛtʃ əˈlɔŋ/
:
extender a lo largo de
- A line of magnificent houses stretched along the beach like gracious actors preparing for a bow.
Examples
-
In striking contrast to the rugged mountains, eighteen major and many smaller islands stretch along the coast, forming the Dalmatian archipelago.
Academic text (1993) -
A bare field with a knoll rising in its center stretched along the main road next to the police station.
Fiction book (1996) -
And the shadows stretched along the beach.
-
The buildings of the train station stretched along Coal Street.
Fiction book (2000) -
Their land stretches along the south side of the river for most of a mile.
Fiction book (2002) -
A caravan of cars with tinted windows and streaming ribbons stretches along the highway.
Blog text (30) -
The camp stretched along 310 miles (192 km), which was the length of the intended rail line.
Academic text (2011) -
The zone stretches along the northern border of Israel and straddles the westward bend of the Litani River.
Academic text (1993) -
Visitors first travel northeast along Interstate 80 to Sacramento, the state capital, then take Route 70 northward through the numerous nut and fruit orchards that stretch along California's lush Central Valley.
Academic text (1993) -
The buildings of the train station stretched along Coal Street.
Synonyms
664
1.6
To put a thin layer over a surface
265
2.7
To reach out with your body or make something longer
192
3.3
To go across an area or distance
127
2.3
To extend across a large area or long distance
98
3.4
To stretch across an area or period of time
73
2.7
To stretch a hand toward something to touch it
24
3.1
To arrange or unfold things so they cover a larger area
17
3.6
Form a layer across a surface, like fog or icing
1
4.2
To place things in a line along a path
Antonyms
How Far
2
4.2
265
2.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'stretch' (to extend or make longer) combined with 'along' (following a length or direction) yields 'extend along a length or area', so the sense is derivable from the parts. This verb + prepositional pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically intuitive, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
The verb stretch along paints a simple picture: something stretches out and lies along a line, like a row of shops running down a street or a river following a valley. That's why it means 'to extend or take up a long, narrow area'.