let sleeping dogs lie

phrase

: to ignore a problem because trying to deal with it could cause an even more difficult situation

I thought about bringing up my concerns but decided instead to let sleeping dogs lie.

Examples of let sleeping dogs lie in a Sentence

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At least for Cooper, probably best to let sleeping dogs lie on this one. — Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2022 Though if it’s gone on this long, maybe Bungie is content to let sleeping dogs lie here. — Paul Tassi, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2022 The fear of divisiveness—and the sheer exhaustion that divisive politics breeds—easily translates into the desire to let sleeping dogs lie. — Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2020

Browse Nearby Words

let rip

let sleeping dogs lie

let (someone) down easy/gently

See all Nearby Words

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“Let sleeping dogs lie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/let%20sleeping%20dogs%20lie. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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