let alone

adverb

much less (Freq. 3)

-

she can't boil potatoes, let alone cook a meal

• Syn: ↑not to mention

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phrasal

1. : to say nothing of : not to mention

but does he have the boldness, let alone the skill, of his own convictions — New Republic

no provision for the health of servants, let alone for their comfort — O.S.J.Gogarty

2.

a. : to refrain from interfering with : leave undisturbed

in the spring or summer, let nests alone — Boy Scout Handbook

the government … promised to let them alone in part of the Everglades — Marjory S. Douglas

could not let well enough alone — L.O.Coxe

— often used as an imperative

let it alone; you'll break it

b. : to leave to oneself

the red-faced boy wanted nothing so much as to be let alone

her mother told her to let the frightened kitten alone

3. : to exclude from consideration

the … party is inclined to let nationalization pretty well alone — Alzada Comstock

* * *

let alone

1. Not to mention, much less

2. To refrain from interference with

3. (imperative) trust (archaic)

• • •

Main Entry: ↑let

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let alone phrase

used for saying that something is even less likely to happen than another unlikely thing

I hardly have time to think these days, let alone relax.

Thesaurus: not likely to happen_synonym general words meaning to happen_synonym

Main entry: let

* * *

I

see let I

II

used to indicate that something is far less likely, possible, or suitable than something else already mentioned

he was incapable of leading a bowling team, let alone a country

* * *

let alone — see ↑let, 1

• • •

Main Entry: ↑alone

————————

let alone

1

— used to refer to something that is even less likely or possible than the thing previously mentioned

I can barely understand it, let alone explain it.

2 let (someone or something) alone : to not bother or touch (someone or something)

Let [=(more commonly) leave] your sister alone.

All I ask is to be let alone. [=(more commonly) left alone]

Would you please let it alone?

I never did learn to let well enough alone. [=to leave well enough alone; to stop changing something that is already good enough]

• • •

Main Entry: ↑let

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let alone idiom

used after a statement to emphasize that because the first thing is not true or possible, the next thing cannot be true or possible either

•

There isn't enough room for us, let alone any guests.

•

I didn't have any clothes, let alone a passport.

Main entry: ↑alone_idiom