The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 2 plus 1 plus 7 letter word AT A STRETCH
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
A
T
A
S
T
R
E
T
C
H
More clues leading to the result AT A STRETCH
- The star act juggled with difficulty
- A tap losing pressure — reach with difficulty
- . A small amount mostly leads to vomit? Just conceivably
- He attracts constituents but only with difficulty
- He attracts flies continuously
- Only just score after a false start
- After a false start, eat out without interÂruption
- Attach rest in circulation with some difficulty
- Extended in a pinch
- A test chart prepared with much difficulty
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "with difficulty" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case with difficulty = at a stretch.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.