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let alone
conjunction
: to say nothing of : not to mention
—used especially to emphasize the improbability of a contrasting example
he would never walk again let alone play golf—
Sports Illus.
how many ever see an Ambassador or Minister, let alone a President—
Robert Lacville
Examples of let alone in a Sentence
I don't have enough money for a new car, let alone a luxury sedan.
Recent Examples on the Web
Taking these steps would be difficult in the best of times, let alone ahead of an election.
—
Graham Allison, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
Hunter Biden, of course, isn’t running for office – let alone reelection as president, as his father is.
—
Linda Feldmann, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2024
There was barely enough time to meet van Zweden, let alone get a full sense of him, as man or maestro.
—
Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 7 June 2024
The logistics and cost of travel can be a highly emotional issue for many families who don’t want to leave their dogs behind when relocating, let alone vacationing, Meeker says.
—
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 26 May 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'let alone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1765, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near let alone
Cite this Entry
“Let alone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/let%20alone. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
let alone
conjunction
: to say nothing of : not to mention
lacked the courage, let alone the know-how
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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