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

The minister said: "By any stretch of the imagination, by any measure, we have made progress to close that gap in resident doctor pay."

From BBC

It was, as my MarketWatch colleague, reporter Jeffrey Bartash described it, what economists call “a low-hire, low-fire jobs market. Not good by any stretch, but not terrible, either.”

From MarketWatch

"This has not been an easy matter by any stretch of the imagination," she said.

From BBC

Not good by any stretch, but not awful, either.

From MarketWatch

Not good by any stretch, but not awful, either.

From MarketWatch