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

But how can justice, let alone a meaningful reckoning, begin when the killings go on, swept under the rug by state officials and all but ignored by everyone else? —Brendan King, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026

Any private operator taking over the reins would require years to come up to speed on how to make the system work, let alone to improve it, Hernandez said. —Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 23 Mar. 2026

However, Fink wrote that many households don’t have enough cash on hand to make ends meet—let alone any left over to invest in volatile markets over a sustained period of time. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026

Towns, a career 40% shooter and former 3-Point Contest champion, has never gone perfect from deep in back-to-back games, let alone three straight. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 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