Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

leave no stone unturned en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic) To search or investigate thoroughly.
    • We have a lead inspector who has a global overview of the investigation and will have site handback in mind, although we won't leave any stone unturned. 2021 December 29, Paul Stephen, “Rail's accident investigators”, in RAIL, number 947, page 30:
    • “This case of police torture and murder is shocking. But this is not the first case and it is unlikely to be the last case until and unless the police conduct serious interrogations and investigations and leave no stones unturned,” said Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch. 2021 August 25, Tassanee Vejpongsa, “Video sparks arrest of Thai police in drug suspect's death”, in The Washington Post, retrieved 26 Aug 2021:
  2. (figuratively) To perform a task carefully and thoroughly, not missing any step.
    • James Sutherland insists Australia had "no alternative" but to cancel the tour. "We have left no stone unturned in trying to ensure the tour could proceed as planned but at the end of the day the safety and security of our employees must come first." 2008 March 11, “Australia cancel tour of Pakistan”, in The Guardian, retrieved 02 May 2013:
    • We mean to leave no stone unturned to carry out our intent. 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, published 1993, page 297:
    • But we must make it clear that in building our friendship with the Chinese on the mainland we will not sacrifice our Chinese friends on Taiwan. Julian Amery put the issue eloquently: "It is often necessary and legitimate to abandon causes long supported and to dissolve pledged bonds of alliance. But it is always wrong to abandon men who have been friends to their fate. We may have to jettison their interests but we should leave no stone unturned to save at least their lives." 1988, Richard Nixon, “The Awakened Giant”, in 1999: Victory Without War, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 258:
    • [He] left unturned no stone / To make my guilt appear, and hide his own. 1697, Virgil, “The Second Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
leaving no stone unturned Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
left no stone unturned Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
left no stone unturned Tense=Past lexicographic
leaves no stone unturned Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Relateds

spare no effort

Translations (21)

fi ei jätä yhtään kiveä kääntämättä (perform a task thoroughly) · ru ка́мня на ка́мне не оста́вить (perform a task thoroughly) · pl poruszyć niebo i ziemię (search thoroughly) · nl onder de loep nemen (search thoroughly) · es no dejar piedra por mover (perform a task thoroughly) · es no dejar piedra sin remover (perform a task thoroughly) · is fínkemba (search thoroughly) · ga scag go mion (search thoroughly) · fi ei jättää yhtään kiveä kääntämättä (search thoroughly) · pl poruszyć niebo i ziemię (perform a task thoroughly) · hu tűvé tesz (search thoroughly) · fi etsiä läpikotaisin (search thoroughly) · pl poruszać niebo i ziemię (search thoroughly) · hu minden követ megmozgat (perform a task thoroughly) · de unter die Lupe nehmen (search thoroughly) · es no dejar piedra sin remover (search thoroughly) · ru обива́ть все поро́ги (search thoroughly) · pl poruszać niebo i ziemię (perform a task thoroughly) · es no dejar piedra por mover (search thoroughly) · fi tehdä läpikotaisin (perform a task thoroughly) · fi tehdä kaikkensa (perform a task thoroughly)