let alone

1 of 2

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

let alone

2 of 2

phrase

: to leave undisturbed

let the flowers alone

also : to leave to oneself

wanted to be let alone

Synonyms of let alone

Conjunction

• not to mention

Examples of let alone in a Sentence

Conjunction

I don't have enough money for a new car, let alone a luxury sedan.

Recent Examples on the Web

Conjunction

Most winners aren't used to handling millions of dollars, let alone the crush of publicity that comes with a Powerball jackpot. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 28 June 2026

Worth hundreds of millions of dollars, Swift was never designed to be repaired, let alone retrieved by hands — human or otherwise. — Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 28 June 2026

Phrase

Mike Hughes didn’t need an OTA practice, let alone a season with 17 starts and the second-most interceptions by a rookie in franchise history, to know the Falcons landed an impact player in safety Xavier Watts last summer. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 14 July 2026

All the more so for the fact that there isn’t a settlement or a hamlet, let alone a village called Shippea Hill at all. — Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Conjunction

1765, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for let alone

• acetone
• anglophone
• baritone
• bourguignon
• buspirone
• chaperon
• chaperone
• cobblestone
• collarbone
• cornerstone
• cortisone
• dictaphone

Kids Definition

let alone

conjunction

: to say nothing of : not to mention

lacked the courage, let alone the know-how