by any stretch

Idioms  

1. Beyond ordinary limits, especially of the imagination. For example, She could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered a great actress. The phrase sometimes is put in the negative, by no stretch, as in By no stretch can that work be called an opera. [Late 1700s]

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Example Sentences

Just like 2024’s troubled “It Ends with Us” — the first big-screen adaptation of one of Hoover’s novels— and last fall’s “Regretting You,” “Reminders of Him” isn’t good by any stretch of the imagination.

From Salon

“We don’t think that the U.S. opportunity is over by any stretch of the imagination,” said Chris Hyzy, chief investment officer of Bank of America Private Bank and Merrill.

From The Wall Street Journal

The numbers weren’t by any stretch bad — at constant currencies, the cloud backlog was 25% in the fourth quarter, but that was worse than consensus which was closer to 26%.

From MarketWatch

Just as she reached the corner, I saw her meet a man with a ruddy complexion and brown hair, full whiskers on his face—though I would not describe him as “handsome” by any stretch of my imagination.

From Literature

"I am not a racist by any stretch of the imagination."

From BBC