liːv noʊ stoʊn ʌnˈtɜːrnd
General
neutral
intermediate
- Literally:
- To turn over every stone
What does "leave no stone unturned" mean?
- To make every possible effort
- To search thoroughly for something
Examples
- The police left no stone unturned in the investigation.
- We'll leave no stone unturned to find a solution.
- She left no stone unturned in her job search.
Origin
From ancient Greek legend—the Oracle at Delphi advised a general to 'leave no stone unturned' when searching for treasure left by the Persian army.
How to use it
Emphasizes thoroughness and determination. Often used for investigations or searches.
Similar expressions
be thorough
explore every option
search exhaustively
Opposites
give up easily
be cursory
overlook
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "leave no stone unturned" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.