it was as much as somebody could do to do somethingSUCCEED IN DOING somethingused to say that someone only succeeded in doing something with great difficulty 某人尽最大努力也只能做某事 He looked so stupid, it was as much as I could do to stop myself from laughing. 他看上去真傻,我拼命忍住才没笑出来。
→ it was as much as somebody could do to do something at much2(9)