: 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.
Sports Illus.how many ever see an Ambassador or Minister, let alone a President—Robert Lacville
Robert Lacvillelet alone
2 of 2phrase
: to leave undisturbed
let the flowers alone
also
: to leave to oneself
wanted to be let alone
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
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Dec. 2025
Cameroon’s new head coach hasn’t even taken charge of a training session with the squad at time of writing, let alone a match.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
Regardless of one’s political views, no one should be subjected to violence, let alone at the hands of their own son.
—Tara Suter, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025
The United States has no real coercive apparatus, let alone one that consumes the lion’s share of its budget.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for let alone
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Conjunction
Barbecue is a tough game in Texas, let alone Dallas-Fort Worth, so a one-year-old restaurant making its way with guns blazing caught my attention.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Dec. 2025
Cameroon’s new head coach hasn’t even taken charge of a training session with the squad at time of writing, let alone a match.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
Regardless of one’s political views, no one should be subjected to violence, let alone at the hands of their own son.
—Tara Suter, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025
The United States has no real coercive apparatus, let alone one that consumes the lion’s share of its budget.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for let alone
Cite this Entry
“Let alone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/let%20alone. Accessed 22 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share