Stretching the truth is a common colloquialism that refers to exaggerating or distorting the facts in order to make a story more interesting. There are many other synonyms for this phrase that can be used interchangeably in speech or writing. Some common examples include embellishing, embroidering, elaborating, bending the truth, exaggerating, over-exaggerating, blowing things out of proportion, playing with the truth, or telling a tall tale. Each of these phrases conveys the same basic idea: that someone is not telling the whole truth and may be exaggerating or distorting the facts for their own benefit or amusement.