go to any lengths Definition

length
noun

1. The distance from one end of an object to the other, normally the longest dimension. Compare breadth.

Thesaurus: distance, extent, longitude, stretch, reach, span.
2. The distance something extends.

Example: a knee-length skirt
3. The quality of being long.
4. A long piece of something or a stated amount of something long.

Example: a length of rope
5. The extent from end to end of a horse, boat, etc, as a way of measuring one participant's lead over another in a race.

Example: won by two lengths
6. A stretch or extent.

Example: The film was 90 minutes in length
Form: in length (often)
7a. swimming.
The longer measurement of a swimming pool;
7b. swimming.
This distance swum.
Example: did twenty lengths a day
8. In racket sports: the placing of a shot so as to land well into the opponent's court.

Example: used topspin to get the length
9a. An extent of time;

Thesaurus: extent, stretch, span, term, duration, period.
9b. phonetics.music.
The amount of time a vowel, syllable, note, etc sounds.
10. cricket.
A perfect distance for pitching a ball.

Idiom: at length

In full.
Thesaurus: exhaustively, in detail, in depth, thoroughly, fully, completely.

At last.

Monotonously and tediously.
Example: went on at length about the golf

Idiom: go to great lengths (go to any length, go to any lengths, go to all lengths)

To try all the possible ways of achieving something, even if it means going beyond expected or accepted boundaries.

Idiom: the length and breadth of something

The entire extent of it.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon lengthu.