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to stretch forth

to stretch forth

1 6.1
To reach out a hand or arm toward something to offer help
  • phrasal verb
  • /strɛtʃ fɔrθ/
translation icon : extender
  • I stretched forth my hand to help her up after she fell.
  • stretch forth a hand
  • stretch forth her arms
  • stretch forth a finger

Examples

  • My companion stretched forth his hand against his comrade; he has broken his covenant.

    Blog text (30)
  • Weeping in joy, William reaches to hug them, but his father stretches forth a forbidding hand.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • And Africa shall stretch forth her arms!

  • And Ethiopia stretched forth her arms again.

  • She stretched forth her hand and let her fingers open slightly.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • "Come, let's have a great hug," said Mae, stretching forth her arms.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Finn stretched forth his hands as if supplicating and let them drop.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Meredydd stretched forth a hand to caress the satiny wood, running astonished fingers from prow to sternpost.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying unto Aaron, "Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt."

    Blog text (6)

Synonyms

to reach
vsto stretch forth
1.0

Stretch out to touch or get something that is far

is used for general pushing forward rather than seeking contact
to stretch
vsto stretch forth
285 1.0

Make something longer or wider by pulling it

is about pushing or thrusting a part toward a direction rather than changing size
to extend
vsto stretch forth
265 2.7

To reach out with your body or make something longer

is about directing a part toward something rather than changing length
to hold out
vsto stretch forth
89 3.5

To put a hand forward to show or give something

is more about pushing a limb toward something than offering it
to reach out
vsto stretch forth
73 2.7

To stretch a hand toward something to touch it

is more about directing something toward a target rather than general outward movement
to stick out
vsto stretch forth
61 3.2

To extend beyond a surface or edge

is used for purposeful pushing toward something rather than mere protrusion
to stretch out
vsto stretch forth
20 3.4

Move part of your body, for example your arm, to reach or see something

is about directing a part toward something rather than easing posture
to put out
vsto stretch forth
18 3.4

Hold a part of your body away from you, like a hand

is focused on moving a part toward a direction rather than merely placing away
to poke out
vsto stretch forth
16 3.5

To stick out from something like a wall or table

is a deliberate move toward something rather than a small outward push
sticking out
vsto stretch forth
15 2.9

Coming out past a surface so it can be seen

is more about directed movement toward something rather than static projection
to outstretch
vsto stretch forth
9 3.9

To make something reach forward, like an arm or wing

is about moving toward a point rather than maximizing outward length
to spread out
vsto stretch forth
4 3.2

To turn a body part outward from the middle

is about thrusting a part toward something rather than rotating it away from center
to exsert
vsto stretch forth
  • Specialized
9.9

To stick out from something

is a directed action toward something rather than simple outward projection

Antonyms

159 3.5

To take money or things out of a place where they are kept

25 5.6

To pull something back so it is no longer sticking out

How Far

to extend
265 2.7
to stretch forth
1 6.1
to reach
1.0

Surface Forms

stretch forth infinitive
stretched forth past participle
stretching forth present participle
stretches forth third person singular

Morphology

stretch + forth

The meaning 'to extend or thrust out' is directly derivable from combining 'stretch' (to lengthen or extend) with the directional adverb 'forth' (outward/forward). This motion verb + directional particle pattern is compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reliably infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The verb stretch forth paints a simple picture: stretch means to reach out and forth means forward, so someone puts a hand or arm out in front of them. That's why stretch forth came to mean 'to extend or thrust out' toward something.