Meaning & use
stretch yourself
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
To try things that are difficult or new in order to improve your skills or abilities.
Grammar: Used with a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject: I stretch myself, she stretches herself.
Patterns
- stretch yourself
- stretch yourself to do something
- stretch yourself too thin
If you want to improve, you have to stretch yourself and take on harder tasks.
She stretched herself by learning a new language at 40.
Don't stretch yourself too thin by saying yes to every project.
Common combinations
- stretch yourself mentally
- Reading challenging books can stretch you mentally.
- stretch yourself to the limit
- The training stretched him to the limit.
- stretch yourself too thin
- She stretched herself too thin with three jobs.
- a chance to stretch yourself
- The new role is a chance to stretch yourself.
Synonyms and how they differ
- challenge yourself
- Challenge yourself is very close, but it often suggests a specific test or goal, while stretch yourself emphasizes growth beyond your current level.
- push yourself
- Push yourself is stronger and often implies forcing yourself through difficulty; stretch yourself is gentler and more about expanding ability.
Opposites
Word family
- stretch verb
- To extend or reach; also to make greater demands on someone.
- stretching noun
- The act of extending or pushing beyond normal limits.
Commonly confused: stretch yourself or stretch?
stretch yourself vs stretch
Stretch alone can mean to make something longer or to reach; stretch yourself specifically means to try to improve by doing hard things.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Option A uses the phrase correctly to mean he challenged himself to grow. The other options add ideas that contradict the meaning of stretching yourself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stretch yourself”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.