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
That’s not to say there won’t be some impact, even on companies that trade only in their home markets.
—
Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
That’s not to say Clayton is going this alone — the backcourt and frontcourt matchups in this game are tremendous.
—The Athletic College Basketball Staff, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
That’s not to say there aren’t detractors—and not just the social media companies, which say the legislation passed without due consultation.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
This is not to say that Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans have no use for the term.
—Zachariah Mampilly, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not to say
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.
Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
That’s not to say Clayton is going this alone — the backcourt and frontcourt matchups in this game are tremendous.
—The Athletic College Basketball Staff, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
That’s not to say there aren’t detractors—and not just the social media companies, which say the legislation passed without due consultation.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
This is not to say that Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans have no use for the term.
—Zachariah Mampilly, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 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 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share