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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 golf—Sports Illus.
how many ever see an Ambassador or Minister, let alone a President—Robert 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
While their parents, several relatives on their mother’s side, and even their maternal grandmother were physicians, they were never expected to be doctors ― let alone orthopedic surgeons just like their father.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 30 Jan. 2025
Not one state improved its eighth-grade reading scores compared with 2022, let alone 2019.
—Jonaki Mehta, NPR, 29 Jan. 2025
DeSantis’s scheme all but guarantees that none would even be attempted, let alone succeed.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2025
The Sabres and Flames didn’t have anybody on their respective rosters as good as MacKinnon or Makar, let alone both of them at the same time.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
1765, in the meaning defined above
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 3 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
let alone
conjunction
: to say nothing of : not to mention
lacked the courage, let alone the know-how
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