by any stretch of the imagination
Meaning
by any stretch of the imagination
(idiomatic, chiefly in negative constructions) by any means; in any sense; regardless of how one puts or considers it
The British Prime Minister isn't a monarch by any stretch of the imagination.
Examples
Busted is not the ideal band I'd like to be in by any stretch of the imagination.
I wouldn't say that I've had a tough life by any stretch of the imagination.
I am not by any stretch of the imagination a tidy person, and the piles of unread books on the coffee table and by my bed have a plaintive, pleading quality to me - 'Read me, please!'
Toy Soldiers was my introduction to film. I certainly didn't think I was doing art by any stretch of the imagination.
I'm not a passive person by any stretch of the imagination.
A certificate of live birth is not the same thing by any stretch of the imagination as a birth certificate.