The difference between Shrink and Stretch
When used as nouns, shrink means shrinkage, whereas stretch means an act of stretching.
When used as verbs, shrink means to cause to become smaller, whereas stretch means to lengthen by pulling.
check bellow for the other definitions of Shrink and Stretch
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Shrink as a verb (transitive):
To cause to become smaller.
Examples:
"The dryer shrank my sweater."
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Shrink as a verb (intransitive):
To become smaller; to contract.
Examples:
"This garment will shrink when wet."
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Shrink as a verb (intransitive):
To cower or flinch.
Examples:
"Molly shrank away from the blows of the whip."
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Shrink as a verb (transitive):
To draw back; to withdraw.
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Shrink as a verb (intransitive, figuratively):
To withdraw or retire, as from danger.
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Shrink as a verb (intransitive):
To move back or away, especially because of fear or disgust.
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Shrink as a noun:
Shrinkage; contraction; recoil.
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Shrink as a noun (slang, sometimes, pejorative):
A psychiatrist or psychotherapist.
Examples:
"You need to see a shrink."
"My shrink said that he was an enabler, bad for me."
"synonyms: head-shrinker"
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Shrink as a noun (uncountable, business):
Loss of inventory, for example due to shoplifting or not selling items before their expiration date.
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Stretch as a verb (transitive):
To lengthen by pulling.
Examples:
"I stretched the rubber band until it almost broke."
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Stretch as a verb (intransitive):
To lengthen when pulled.
Examples:
"The rubber band stretched almost to the breaking point."
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Stretch as a verb (transitive):
To pull tight.
Examples:
"First, stretch the skin over the frame of the drum."
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Stretch as a verb (figuratively, transitive):
To get more use than expected from a limited resource.
Examples:
"I managed to stretch my coffee supply a few more days."
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Stretch as a verb (figuratively, transitive):
To make inaccurate by exaggeration.
Examples:
"To say crossing the street was brave is stretching the meaning of "brave" considerably."
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Stretch as a verb (intransitive):
To extend physically, especially from limit point to limit point.
Examples:
"The beach stretches from Cresswell to Amble."
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Stretch as a verb (intransitive, transitive):
To extend one's limbs or another part of the body in order to improve the elasticity of one's muscles
Examples:
"Cats stretch with equal ease and agility beyond the point that breaks a man on the rack."
"I always stretch my muscles before exercising."
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Stretch as a verb (intransitive):
To extend to a limit point
Examples:
"His mustache stretched all the way to his sideburns."
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Stretch as a verb (transitive):
To increase.
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Stretch as a verb (obsolete, colloquial):
To stretch the truth; to exaggerate.
Examples:
"a man apt to stretch in his report of facts"
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Stretch as a verb (nautical):
To sail by the wind under press of canvas.
Examples:
"The ship stretched to the eastward."
"rfquotek Ham. Nav. Encyc"
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Stretch as a noun:
An act of stretching.
Examples:
"I was right in the middle of a stretch when the phone rang."
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Stretch as a noun:
The ability to lengthen when pulled.
Examples:
"That rubber band has quite a bit of stretch."
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Stretch as a noun:
A course of thought which diverts from straightforward logic, or requires extraordinary belief.
Examples:
"It's a bit of a stretch to call Boris Karloff a comedian."
"To say crossing the street was brave was quite a stretch."
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Stretch as a noun:
A segment of a journey or route.
Examples:
"It was an easy trip except for the last stretch, which took forever."
"It's a tough stretch of road in the winter, especially without chains."
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Stretch as a noun:
A segment or length of material.
Examples:
"a stretch of cloth"
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Stretch as a noun (baseball):
A quick pitching delivery used when runners are on base where the pitcher slides his leg instead of lifting it.
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Stretch as a noun (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.
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Stretch as a noun (informal):
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Stretch as a noun (horse racing):
The homestretch, the final straight section of the track leading to the finish.
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Stretch as a noun (Ireland):
A length of time. Extended daylight hours, especially said of the evening in springtime when compared to the shorter winter days. The period of the season between the trade deadline and the beginning of the playoffs. A jail or prison term.
Examples:
"He did a 7-year stretch in jail."
"There is a grand stretch in the evenings."
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Stretch as a noun:
A stretch limousine.