stretch out

verb

To lie fully extended.

“My cat likes stretching out in front of the fire.”

Similar
unfoldstretchextendexsertput outhold outstretch forthcrane
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Meanings

verbstretch out (third-person singular simple present stretches out, present participle stretching out, simple past and past participle stretched out)

present singular third person stretches out · participle present stretching out · participle past stretched out · past stretched out

  1. intransitiveTo lie fully extended.

    My cat likes stretching out in front of the fire.

  2. transitiveTo extend (something) fully, in space, time or use.

    We need to stretch the water supply out as long as we can.

    2 more examples

    You have to stretch your presentation out another two minutes.

    Please don't stretch out your sweater by pulling it on and off carelessly.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbextend or stretch out to a greater or the full length

Similar
unfoldstretchextend
Broader
change shapechange formdeform

verblie down comfortably

Similar
stretch
Broader
lie downlie

verbthrust or extend out

Similar
exsertput outextendhold outstretch forth
Broader
gesticulategesturemotion

verbextend one's body or limbs

Similar
stretch
Broader
move

verbstretch (the neck) so as to see better

Similar
crane
Broader
stretchextend
Also see
craneexsertextendhold output outstretchstretch forthunfold

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From stretch + out.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مَدَّدَ, اِمْتَدَّ
  • مَدَّدَ (maddada)to extend fully
  • اِمْتَدَّ (imtadda)to extend fully
Esperanto etendi
  • etendito extend fully
Finnish maata pitkin pituuttaan, ojentaa (suoraksi)
  • maata pitkin pituuttaanto lie fully extended
  • ojentaa (suoraksi)to extend fully
French s'étendre, tendre
  • s'étendreto lie fully extended
  • tendreto extend fully
German spannen, dehnen
  • spannento lie fully extended
  • dehnento extend fully
Hungarian kinyújtózik, elnyújtózik
  • kinyújtózikto lie fully extended
  • elnyújtózikto lie fully extended
  • nyújtózikto lie fully extended
  • kinyújtto extend fully
  • nyújtto extend fully
Māori totoro
  • totoroto extend fully
Polish wyciągać się, wyciągnąć się
  • wyciągać sięto lie fully extended
  • wyciągnąć sięto lie fully extended
  • przeciągać sięto lie fully extended
  • przeciągnąć sięto lie fully extended
  • rozkładać sięto lie fully extended
  • rozłożyć sięto lie fully extended
  • wyciągaćto extend fully
  • wyciągnąćto extend fully
  • przeciągaćto extend fully
  • przeciągnąćto extend fully
  • rozkładaćto extend fully
  • rozłożyćto extend fully
Portuguese estirar-se
  • estirar-seto lie fully extended
Punjabi ਤਾਣਨਾ
  • ਤਾਣਨਾ (tāṇnā)to extend fully
Russian простира́ться, протя́гивать
  • простира́ться (prostirátʹsja)to lie fully extended
  • протя́гивать (protjágivatʹ)to extend fully
  • протяну́ть (protjanútʹ)to extend fully
  • вытя́гивать (vytjágivatʹ)to extend fully
  • вы́тянуть (výtjanutʹ)to extend fully
Cite this entry
APA

stretch out. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stretch%20out

MLA

“stretch out.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stretch%20out. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stretch out,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stretch%20out.

Source: stretch out on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.