Flex vs. Stretch — What's the Difference?

(with reference to a limb or joint) bend or become bent

To lengthen, widen, or distend

Relating to or denoting a practice of burying a corpse with the legs drawn up under the chin.

To cause to extend from one place to another or across a given space

A flexible insulated cable used for carrying electric current to an appliance.

To make taut; tighten

To bend (something pliant or elastic).

To reach or put forth; extend

To bend (a joint).

To extend (oneself or one's limbs, for example) to full length

To bend (a joint) repeatedly.

To extend (oneself) when lying down

To contract (a muscle, for example).

To put to torture on the rack.

To move by muscular control

To wrench or strain (a muscle, for example).

To exhibit or show off the strength of

To extend or enlarge beyond the usual or proper limits

To bend

To subject to undue strain

Chiefly British Flexible insulated electric cord.

To expand in order to fulfill a larger function

The act or an instance of flexing; a bending.

To increase the quantity of by admixture or dilution

Flexibility

To prolong

(uncountable) Flexibility, pliancy.

(Informal) To fell by a blow

(countable) An act of flexing.

To become lengthened, widened, or distended.

Any flexible insulated electrical wiring.

To extend or reach over a distance or area or in a given direction

(uncountable) Flexible ductwork, typically flexible plastic over a metal wire coil to shape a tube.

To lie down at full length

A point of inflection.

To extend one's muscles or limbs, as after prolonged sitting or on awakening.

The act of flaunting something; something one considers impressive.

To extend over a given period of time

To bend something.

The act of stretching or the state of being stretched.

(transitive) To repeatedly bend one of one's joints.

The extent or scope to which something can be stretched; elasticity.

(transitive) To move part of the body using one's muscles.

A continuous or unbroken length, area, or expanse

(intransitive) To tighten the muscles for display of size or strength.

A straight section of a racecourse or track, especially the section leading to the finish line.

To flaunt one's superiority.

A continuous period of time.

To bend; as, to flex the arm.

(Slang) A term of imprisonment

Flax.

(Informal) The last stage of an event, period, or process.

The act of flexing;

(Baseball) A series of movements in which a pitcher, standing with the glove side facing home plate, raises both hands to the height of the head and then lowers them to the chest or waist for a short pause before pitching the ball. It is used especially when runners are on base because it gives base runners less time to steal than they have during a full windup.

Contract;

Made of an elastic material that stretches easily

Exhibit the strength of;

Of, relating to, or being a vehicle, such as a limousine or passenger jet, having an extended seating area that provides extra space for more passengers, leg room, or amenities.

Form a curve;

(transitive) To lengthen by pulling.

Bend a joint;

(intransitive) To lengthen when pulled.

Cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form;

(transitive) To pull tight.

To get more use than expected from a limited resource.

To make inaccurate by exaggeration.

(intransitive) To extend physically, especially from limit point to limit point.

To extend one’s limbs or another part of the body in order to improve the elasticity of one's muscles

(intransitive) To extend to a limit point

(transitive) To increase.

To stretch the truth; to exaggerate.

(nautical) To sail by the wind under press of canvas.

To execute by hanging.

To make great demands on the capacity or resources of something.

An act of stretching.

The ability to lengthen when pulled.

A course of thought which diverts from straightforward logic, or requires extraordinary belief or exaggeration.

A segment of a journey or route.

A segment or length of material.

A walk.

(baseball) A quick pitching delivery used when runners are on base where the pitcher slides his leg instead of lifting it.

(baseball) A long reach in the direction of the ball with a foot remaining on the base by a first baseman in order to catch the ball sooner.

(informal) Term of address for a tall person.

(horse racing) The homestretch, the final straight section of the track leading to the finish.

A length of time.

(Ireland) Extended daylight hours, especially said of the evening in springtime when compared to the shorter winter days.

(sports) The period of the season between the trade deadline and the beginning of the playoffs.

(slang) A jail or prison term.

A single uninterrupted sitting; a turn.

A stretch limousine.

To reach out; to extend; to put forth.

To draw out to the full length; to cause to extend in a straight line; as, to stretch a cord or rope.

To cause to extend in breadth; to spread; to expand; as, to stretch cloth; to stretch the wings.

To make tense; to tighten; to distend forcibly.

To draw or pull out to greater length; to strain; as, to stretch a tendon or muscle.

To exaggerate; to extend too far; as, to stretch the truth; to stretch one's credit.

To be extended; to be drawn out in length or in breadth, or both; to spread; to reach; as, the iron road stretches across the continent; the lake stretches over fifty square miles.

To extend or spread one's self, or one's limbs; as, the lazy man yawns and stretches.

To be extended, or to bear extension, without breaking, as elastic or ductile substances.

To strain the truth; to exaggerate; as, a man apt to stretch in his report of facts.

To sail by the wind under press of canvas; as, the ship stretched to the eastward.

Act of stretching, or state of being stretched; reach; effort; struggle; strain; as, a stretch of the limbs; a stretch of the imagination.

A continuous line or surface; a continuous space of time; as, grassy stretches of land.

The extent to which anything may be stretched.

The reach or extent of a vessel's progress on one tack; a tack or board.

Course; direction; as, the stretch of seams of coal.

A large and unbroken expanse or distance;

The act of physically reaching or thrusting out

A straightaway section of a racetrack

Exercise designed to extend the limbs and muscles to their full extent

Extension to or beyond the ordinary limit;

An unbroken period of time during which you do something;

The capacity for being stretched

Occupy a large, elongated area;

Extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body;

Extend or stretch out to a greater or the full length;

Become longer by being stretched and pulled;

Make long or longer by pulling and stretching;

Lie down comfortably;

Pull in opposite directions;

Extend the scope or meaning of; often unduly;

Corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones;

Increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance;

Extend one's body or limbs;

Having an elongated seating area;

Easily stretched;