THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE
At full stretch
Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Meaning in plain English
Working at your maximum capacity, with no room to take on more.
02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT
The expression in a sentence
- The kitchen team is at full stretch preparing meals for the festival.
03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Quick idiom quiz
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Can you recall the expression?
Complete the example using the expression from this lesson.
The kitchen team is ________ preparing meals for the festival.
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At full stretch — Working at your maximum capacity, with no room to take on more.
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Make it yours
Write one sentence using “At full stretch” about your own life.
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Working at your maximum capacity, with no room to take on more.
Compare: The kitchen team is at full stretch preparing meals for the festival.
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More ways to understand and use it
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When to use it
Use this UK expression when a person, team or service is already doing as much as it can. It suits workplace and everyday discussion.
More examples in context
- We were working at full stretch to answer all the enquiries.
- With two staff members away, the remaining team was at full stretch.
Usage note
You can say work at full stretch or be at full stretch. It refers to capacity and effort, not necessarily physical stretching.
A short conversation
A: Can the team take another large booking this week?
B: We are already at full stretch with the current orders.
A: Let us offer a later date instead.
One more practice question
What is true of a team at full stretch?
A. It is already working at maximum capacity.
B. It has almost nothing to do and unlimited spare capacity.
Check your answer
A. The expression means the team cannot readily manage extra work.
Related lessons
Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.