- [countable] stretch (of something) an area of land or water, especially a long one
- a particularly dangerous stretch of road
- There are tailbacks along a 10-mile stretch of the motorway.
- an unspoilt stretch of coastline
- You rarely see boats on this stretch of the river.
Extra Examples- The festival is being held on a stretch of parkland near the river.
- A narrow stretch of water separates the island from the mainland.
- She looked at the long stretches of white sands.
- a straight stretch of road
- a wild uninhabited coastal stretch
- an empty stretch of beach
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- great
- huge
- large
- …
- along a/the stretch
- on a/the stretch
- stretch of
- …
- the home stretch
- [countable] a continuous period of time synonym spell
- They worked in four-hour stretches.
- at a stretch She used to read for hours at a stretch (= without stopping).
Extra ExamplesTopics Timec2- He went through a tough stretch last year but things are better now.
- She had been unhappy for long stretches of her life.
- The summer vacation can seem like an awfully long stretch of time.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- long
- short
- final
- …
- stretch of
- at a stretch
- [countable, usually singular] (informal) a period of time that somebody spends in prison
- He did a ten-year stretch for fraud.
- [countable, uncountable] an act of stretching out your arms or legs or your body and pulling the muscles tight; the state of being stretched
- We got out of the car and had a good stretch.
- Only do these more difficult stretches when you are warmed up.
- Stay in this position and feel the stretch in your legs.
Extra Examples- First let's warm up by doing some stretches.
- Have a good stretch from time to time to prevent yourself getting stiff.
- Hold the stretch for a count of ten.
- Her arms were at full stretch (= extended as far as possible).
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- gentle
- do
- have
- hold
- …
- at full stretch
- [uncountable] the ability to be made longer or wider without breaking or tearing
- You need a material with plenty of stretch in it.
- stretch jeans
- [countable, usually singular] a straight part at the end of a racing track synonym straight
- the finishing stretch
- (figurative) The campaign has entered its final stretch.
Extra Examples- She felt a renewed burst of energy for the final stretch.
- (figurative) The students have now entered the final stretch of their course.
area of land/water
period of time
of body
of fabric
on racetrack
Word OriginOld English streccan, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch strekken and German strecken. The noun dates from the late 16th cent.
Idioms
See stretch in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee stretch in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishat full stretch
- using as much energy as possible, or the greatest possible amount of supplies
- Fire crews have been operating at full stretch.
not by any stretch of the imagination | by no stretch of the imagination
- used to say strongly that something is not true, even if you try to imagine or believe it
- She could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be called beautiful.
- By no stretch of the imagination could the trip be described as relaxing.
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stretch