From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishat full stretchat full stretchBritish English a) BUSY PLACEusing everything that is available With staff shortages and appalling weather conditions, the emergency services were at full stretch. b) HBHwith your body or part of your body stretched as far as possible He dived and caught the ball at full stretch. → stretch
Examples from the Corpus
at full stretch• I was already at full stretch.• All the services for mental health seemed to be at full stretch already, he said.• Jim Magilton, who has our vote as man of the match, had the champions at full stretch.• Then she swiped me right across the nose, claws at full stretch.• Ahead, her father was riding alongside the hounds, at full stretch.• Last night, emergency services were still at full stretch and a full picture of the disaster had not yet emerged.• Even so, their defence was at full stretch with the pace and movement of Saha and Hayles.• The men of Plataia were helping Athens, whose manpower was at full stretch, to man her great fleet. 