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
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.
This is not to say that rape can be separated from the hatred of women, just that, in certain situations, the role of the victim can be violently reassigned. S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026 That’s not to say there won’t be more to come. Paul Farhi, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026 But that’s not to say movie studios are dismissing these ideas. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2025 Designing for, and With, Humans in Mind This is not to say that the hype surrounding AI and other innovations is unwarranted. Bill Connolly, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 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 8 Jan. 2026.

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