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
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.
Millions of new companies are born every year, yet only a fraction manage to keep the lights on long enough to raise that next round—let alone shift the paradigm of their industry. Uriel Maslansky, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024 Despite the importance of bodies in medicine, there is no data on how many are used each year, let alone how many of them are unclaimed. Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2024 The office rents the building commands weren’t high enough to cover it, let alone the cost of upgrading and maintaining the building itself, long considered to be a charming money pit. Kim Velsey, Curbed, 19 Dec. 2024 Chef’s Table, Volume 7 If there’s any doubt about Chef’s Table’s impact on the cultural zeitgeist, let alone food TV, The Simpsons provided an exclamation point with a pitch-perfect spoof that aired in the weeks after the release of the latest season. Karen Yuan, Bon Appétit, 18 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for let alone 

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 22 Dec. 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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