let alone

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 golfSports Illus.
how many ever see an Ambassador or Minister, let alone a PresidentRobert Lacville

Examples of let alone in a Sentence

I don't have enough money for a new car, let alone a luxury sedan.
Recent Examples on the Web Kering’s warning reaffirms that the luxury industry is still miles away from seeing a recovery—let alone another boom. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 20 Mar. 2024 The teetering verticality of a crab mille-feuille barely survived being set down on the table, let alone being carved into with a fork and knife. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2024 Pac-12 seeking return to Final Four While an advantage unique to women’s basketball, hosting NCAA games is no guarantee of making the Sweet 16, let alone reaching the Final Four. Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 Until recently, robots weren’t capable of regular human interaction — or at least in a manner that people would appreciate, let alone tolerate, at live events. Gideon Kimbrell, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Idaho flies under the radar as a travel destination to begin with, let alone as a hotspot for wildflower viewing, but about an hour and a half east of Boise are lands teeming with bursts of springtime flair. Krista Simmons and J.d. Simkins, Sunset Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 How could a behavior that results in a cell’s sudden death evolve, let alone persist? Quanta Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 And those who didn’t know Noseda personally confirmed to me the rarity of such a warm welcome, let alone such a prolonged ovation. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Work-life balance in banking Really, achieving work-life balance in any industry is tough—let alone in the famously dog-eat-dog financial industry. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of let alone was in 1765

Dictionary Entries Near let alone

Cite this Entry

“Let alone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/let%20alone. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

let alone

conjunction
: to say nothing of : not to mention
lacked the courage, let alone the know-how
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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