stretch the truth

verb

To exaggerate, often to the point where the truth is obscured or lost.

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Meanings

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

present singular third person stretches the truth · participle present stretching the truth · participle past stretched the truth · past stretched the truth

  1. idiomaticTo exaggerate, often to the point where the truth is obscured or lost.

    "And you suspect them of stretching the truth? Or shrinking the truth?"

    2009, Eric Kraft, Flying
    2 more examples

    It would stretch the truth, but perhaps not tear it to tatters, to say that World War II was fought over oil.

    1996 Fall, “From Sykes-Picot through Bandung to Oslo: Whither the Arab world?”, in Arab Studies Quarterly, volume 18, number 4, page 1

    You think they exaggerate sometimes? You think they embellish things, stretch the truth, play loose with the facts?

    2003 November 9, Jim Armstrong, “NFL players skilled at other sports”, in Houston Chronicle, Sports, page 2

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 言過其實 /言过其实, 誇張 /夸张
  • 言過其實 /言过其实 (yánguòqíshí)idioms: to exaggerate
  • 誇張 /夸张 (kuāzhāng)idioms: to exaggerate
Finnish venyttää totuutta
  • venyttää totuuttaidioms: to exaggerate
French abuser, charrier
  • abuseridioms: to exaggerate
  • charrieridioms: to exaggerate
  • en faire des caissesidioms: to exaggerate
  • exagéreridioms: to exaggerate
  • pousser le bouchonidioms: to exaggerate
German mit der Wahrheit großzügig umgehen
  • mit der Wahrheit großzügig umgehenidioms: to exaggerate
Portuguese exagerar a verdade
  • exagerar a verdadeidioms: to exaggerate
Russian преувели́чивать, сгуща́ть кра́ски
  • преувели́чивать (preuvelíčivatʹ)idioms: to exaggerate
  • сгуща́ть кра́ски (sguščátʹ kráski)idioms: to exaggerate
  • извраща́ть пра́вду (izvraščátʹ právdu)idioms: to exaggerate
Spanish exagerar
  • exageraridioms: to exaggerate
Vietnamese bẻ cong sự thật
  • bẻ cong sự thậtidioms: to exaggerate
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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