not to say
idiom
—used to introduce a more forceful or critical way of describing someone or something
He was impolite, not to say downright rude!
Examples of not to say in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pointing out problem candidates among the GOP is not to say that Democrats have great candidates and just bad ideas.
—
Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
That’s not to say Paul, a single mother of three, isn’t also looking for love.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
That’s not to say that everyone agrees with the valuation.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
This is not to say that nothing has changed, however.
—Collin J. Meisel, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not to say
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.
Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
That’s not to say Paul, a single mother of three, isn’t also looking for love.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
That’s not to say that everyone agrees with the valuation.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
This is not to say that nothing has changed, however.
—Collin J. Meisel, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not to say
Cite this Entry
“Not to say.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20to%20say. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share