stretched

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'stretched' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to someone or something being drawn out or expanded, such as when describing a long, thin object or a tired face. For example, you could say "When he arrived home from a long day of work, his face was stretched with exhaustion."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Lifestyle

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The report says 2014 was a very demanding year in which MSF was stretched way beyond its limits.

The Guardian

The shadow from the floodlight behind the Warner stand had already stretched out well beyond the pitch as Graeme Swann ran in to bowl the third ball of the final over of the fourth day.

The Guardian - Sport

I'm not suggesting that it was perfect; mental health has long been the Cinderella service of the NHS, and resources, even then, were stretched.

The Guardian

How could an inspector, unlikely to have heard of her condition and probably only in a classroom for 20 minutes or so,  truly know if she had been stretched to learn?

The Guardian

Meanwhile Serena Williams – who beat the left-hander 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 – hastretcheded her lead at the top from 1651 to 4421 ranking points.

The Guardian - Sport

"They're getting stretched apart, and they snap back," says Weiss. "Sometimes they snap back into their natural shapes".

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Episode six opens with the horrific image of Omar's boyfriend Brandon, his face and body sickeningly mutilated, stretched out across the bonnet of a car, to Wallace and – to a lesser extent – D'Angelo's evident discomfort.

The Guardian

She called her images her "cast of characters", and she deployed them on polymer printing plates and in paper chains of sheets collaged with selected cut-out figures, her "paper dolls", that littered the studio and stretched into enormous scrolls.

The Guardian - Arts

After Greece managed to make a €750m (£537m) payment to the IMF on Monday, there was cautious optimism that the country's finances were not quite as stretched as feared.

The Guardian - Business

Adam Bogdan kept them afloat in the opening half-hour, conjuring a flurry of superb interceptions and saves to thwart Callum Wilson and Matt Ritchie, but the visitors had still caved in by the time the contest has stretched to the interval.

The Guardian - Sport

Some said his new film, another meditative drama set in the Anatolian countryside, stretched the audience's patience too thin to win.

The Guardian - Film

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "stretched" to describe resources, ensure the context clearly indicates what is being strained (e.g., "The budget was stretched thin").

Common error

Avoid using "stretched" in too many abstract contexts within the same piece of writing. Overuse can dilute its impact; vary your vocabulary with synonyms like "strained", "extended", or "taxed".

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "stretched" is as the past participle of the verb "stretch", often used in passive constructions or as an adjective. Ludwig provides examples of both usages, affirming its versatility.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Sport

25%

Lifestyle

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Science

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "stretched" functions primarily as the past participle of the verb "stretch", conveying actions of extension or the state of being under strain. Ludwig's AI confirms that "stretched" is correct and appropriate for use in written English. Occurring frequently in News & Media, Sport, and Lifestyle contexts, its versatile application spans physical descriptions and metaphorical representations of strained resources or prolonged durations. While generally neutral in register, overuse in abstract contexts should be avoided to maintain impact. Related terms such as "strained", "extended", and "taxed" offer valuable alternatives depending on the intended nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

overextended

Suggests pushing beyond reasonable limits, similar to being "stretched" too far.

elongated

Describes something made longer, synonymous with the effect of being "stretched".

extended

Indicates a state of being longer or further, similar to being "stretched" in terms of physical dimension or duration.

expanded

Refers to an increase in size or scope, analogous to something being physically "stretched".

strained

Implies a state of being under pressure or stress, akin to how resources or patience can be "stretched".

maximized

Refers to pushing something to its highest possible extent or capacity, similar to "stretching" resources to their limit.

protracted

Implies that something, usually time, is drawn out or prolonged, similar to a timeline being "stretched".

taxed

Indicates that resources or abilities are being heavily burdened, much like being "stretched".

amplified

Indicates something made greater, often used in the context of sound, which can be seen as a metaphorical "stretch".

exaggerated

Suggests something represented as greater than it is, similar to the idea of "stretching" the truth.

FAQs

How can I use "stretched" in a sentence?

You can use "stretched" to describe something extended physically, like "The rubber band was stretched to its limit", or metaphorically, such as "The hospital resources were stretched due to the pandemic".

What are some synonyms for "stretched" in the context of resources?

In the context of resources, alternatives to "stretched" include "strained", "overextended", or "taxed".

What's the difference between "stretched" and "extended"?

"Stretched" often implies a degree of strain or pressure while "extended" simply means made longer or wider. You might say a rubber band is "stretched", but a deadline is "extended".

Is it correct to say that someone's patience was "stretched"?

Yes, saying someone's patience was "stretched" is a common and acceptable way to describe that they were tested or tried, often implying they were close to losing their temper or composure.