not worth the candle

idiom

chiefly British, old-fashioned
: not worth the necessary effort, cost, or trouble
The car is so old that replacing the engine is not worth the candle.

Examples of not worth the candle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Often, however, the problems run deeper, and the United States must recognize that the game is simply not worth the candle. Mara Karlin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'not worth the candle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near not worth the candle

Cite this Entry

“Not worth the candle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20worth%20the%20candle. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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