Stretch vs. Spread — What's the Difference?

To lengthen, widen, or distend

Open out (something) so as to extend its surface area, width, or length

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

Extend over a large or increasing area

To make taut; tighten

Apply (a substance) to an object or surface in an even layer

To reach or put forth; extend

Lay (a table) for a meal.

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

The fact or process of spreading over an area

To extend (oneself) when lying down

The extent, width, or area covered by something

To put to torture on the rack.

The range or variety of something

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

A soft paste that can be applied in a layer to bread or other food

To extend or enlarge beyond the usual or proper limits

An article or advertisement covering several columns or pages of a newspaper or magazine, especially one on two facing pages

To subject to undue strain

A large and impressively elaborate meal

To expand in order to fulfill a larger function

A bedspread

To increase the quantity of by admixture or dilution

To open to a fuller extent or width; stretch

To prolong

To make wider the gap between; move farther apart

(Informal) To fell by a blow

To distribute over a surface in a layer

To become lengthened, widened, or distended.

To cover with a layer

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

To distribute widely

To lie down at full length

To make a wide or extensive arrangement of

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

To exhibit or display the full extent of

To extend over a given period of time

To cause to become widely seen or known; scatter or disseminate

The act of stretching or the state of being stretched.

To prepare (a table) for eating; set.

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

To arrange (food or a meal) on a table.

A continuous or unbroken length, area, or expanse

To flatten (a rivet end, for example) by pounding.

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

To be extended or enlarged

A continuous period of time.

To move over an area, be distributed, or be widely dispersed

(Slang) A term of imprisonment

To become known or prevalent over a wide area

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

To be exhibited, displayed, or visible in broad or full extent

(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.

To become or admit of being distributed in a layer

Made of an elastic material that stretches easily

To become separated; be forced farther apart

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.

The act or process of spreading

(transitive) To lengthen by pulling.

Dissemination, as of news; diffusion.

(intransitive) To lengthen when pulled.

An open area of land; an expanse.

(transitive) To pull tight.

A ranch, farm, or estate.

To get more use than expected from a limited resource.

The extent or limit to which something is or can be spread

To make inaccurate by exaggeration.

A cloth covering for a bed, table, or other piece of furniture.

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

(Informal) An abundant meal laid out on a table.

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

A food to be spread on bread or crackers.

(intransitive) To extend to a limit point

Two facing pages of a magazine, newspaper, or book, considered as a unit.

(transitive) To increase.

An article or advertisement running across two or more columns of a newspaper or magazine.

To stretch the truth; to exaggerate.

A difference, as between two figures or totals

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

A position taken in two or more options or futures contracts in order to profit from a change in their relative prices.

To execute by hanging.

The difference between the price asked and bid for a particular security.

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

The difference in yields between two fixed-income securities, as between short-term and long-term bonds.

An act of stretching.

A number of points offered to equalize the chances of winning in a wager on a competition, usually between sports teams. Also called point spread.

The ability to lengthen when pulled.

Wingspread.

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

(transitive) To stretch out, open out (a material etc.) so that it more fully covers a given area of space.

A segment of a journey or route.

(transitive) To extend (individual rays, limbs etc.); to stretch out in varying or opposing directions.

A segment or length of material.

(transitive) To disperse, to scatter or distribute over a given area.

A walk.

(intransitive) To proliferate; to become more widely present, to be disseminated.

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

(transitive) To disseminate; to cause to proliferate, to make (something) widely known or present.

(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.

(intransitive) To take up a larger area or space; to expand, be extended.

(informal) Term of address for a tall person.

(transitive) To smear, to distribute in a thin layer.

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

(transitive) To cover (something) with a thin layer of some substance, as of butter.

A length of time.

To prepare; to set and furnish with provisions.

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

To open one’s legs, especially for sexual favours.

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

The act of spreading.

(slang) A jail or prison term.

Something that has been spread.

A single uninterrupted sitting; a turn.

(cartomancy) A layout, pattern or design of cards arranged for a reading.

A stretch limousine.

An expanse of land.

To reach out; to extend; to put forth.

A large tract of land used to raise livestock; a cattle ranch.

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

A piece of material used as a cover (such as a bedspread).

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

A large meal, especially one laid out on a table.

To make tense; to tighten; to distend forcibly.

(bread, etc.) Any form of food designed to be spread, such as butters or jams.

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

(military) A set of multiple torpedoes launched on side-by-side, slowly-diverging paths toward one or more enemy ships.

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

Improvised by inmates from various ingredients to relieve the tedium of prison food.

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.

An item in a newspaper or magazine that occupies more than one column or page.

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

Two facing pages in a book, newspaper etc.

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

A numerical difference.

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

The difference between the wholesale and retail prices.

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

The difference between the price of a futures month and the price of another month of the same commodity.

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

The purchase of a futures contract of one delivery month against the sale of another futures delivery month of the same commodity.

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

The purchase of one delivery month of one commodity against the sale of that same delivery month of a different commodity.

The extent to which anything may be stretched.

(trading) An arbitrage transaction of the same commodity in two markets, executed to take advantage of a profit from price discrepancies.

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

(trading) The difference between bidding and asking price.

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

(finance) The difference between the prices of two similar items.

A large and unbroken expanse or distance;

(geometry) An unlimited expanse of discontinuous points.

The act of physically reaching or thrusting out

The surface in proportion to the depth of a cut gemstone.

A straightaway section of a racetrack

Excessive width of the trails of ink written on overly absorbent paper.

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

To extend in length and breadth, or in breadth only; to stretch or expand to a broad or broader surface or extent; to open; to unfurl; as, to spread a carpet; to spread a tent or a sail.

Extension to or beyond the ordinary limit;

To extend so as to cover something; to extend to a great or greater extent in every direction; to cause to fill or cover a wide or wider space.

An unbroken period of time during which you do something;

To divulge; to publish, as news or fame; to cause to be more extensively known; to disseminate; to make known fully; as, to spread a report; - often accompanied by abroad.

The capacity for being stretched

To propagate; to cause to affect great numbers; as, to spread a disease.

Occupy a large, elongated area;

To diffuse, as emanations or effluvia; to emit; as, odoriferous plants spread their fragrance.

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

To strew; to scatter over a surface; as, to spread manure; to spread lime on the ground.

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

To prepare; to set and furnish with provisions; as, to spread a table.

Become longer by being stretched and pulled;

To extend in length and breadth in all directions, or in breadth only; to be extended or stretched; to expand.

Make long or longer by pulling and stretching;

To be extended by drawing or beating; as, some metals spread with difficulty.

Lie down comfortably;

To be made known more extensively, as news.

Pull in opposite directions;

To be propagated from one to another; as, the disease spread into all parts of the city.

Extend the scope or meaning of; often unduly;

Extent; compass.

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

Expansion of parts.

Increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance;

A cloth used as a cover for a table or a bed.

Extend one's body or limbs;

A table, as spread or furnished with a meal; hence, an entertainment of food; a feast.

Having an elongated seating area;

A privilege which one person buys of another, of demanding certain shares of stock at a certain price, or of delivering the same shares of stock at another price, within a time agreed upon.

Easily stretched;

An unlimited expanse of discontinuous points.

An arbitrage transaction operated by buying and selling simultaneously in two separate markets, as Chicago and New York, when there is an abnormal difference in price between the two markets. It is called a back spreadwhen the difference in price is less than the normal one.

Surface in proportion to the depth of a cut stone.

Process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space

A conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures;

Farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)

A haphazard distribution in all directions

A tasty mixture to be spread on bread or crackers

A meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed;

Two facing pages of a book or other publication

The expansion of a person's girth (especially at middle age);

Decorative cover for a bed

Act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time

Distribute or disperse widely;

Become distributed or widespread;

Spread across or over;

Spread out or open from a closed or folded state;

Cause to become widely known;

Become widely known and passed on;

Strew or distribute over an area;

Move outward;

Cover by spreading something over;

Distribute over a surface in a layer;

Distributed or spread over a considerable extent;

Prepared or arranged for a meal; especially having food set out;

Fully extended in width;