LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE Definition & Meaning

Let sleeping dogs lie

Do not stir up a problem that has lain quiet for some time.

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Idioms and Phrases

Allow inactive problems to remain so, as in Jane knew she should report the accident but decided to let sleeping dogs lie . This injunction to avoid stirring up trouble was already a proverb in the 13th century. It alludes to waking up a fierce watchdog and has been stated in English since the late 1300s.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

In the message, provided to Congressional investigators by a whistleblower, Mr. Gilliar said he believed the emails exposed in Hunter Biden’s laptop computer would not hurt Mr. Biden if he won the presidential election because “they would just let sleeping dogs lie.”

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In response to news reports about the potential designation of the Wagner Group, Prigozhin issued a statement through the press service of his catering company: “We have never crossed the boundaries of what is permitted. As they say, let sleeping dogs lie. Americans, do not wake up Wagner while Wagner is still sleeping.”

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“Well, I don’t. As the Americans say, ‘let sleeping dogs lie.’

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Surely this is enough reason to let sleeping dogs lie.

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Is that the best course of action, or should I let sleeping dogs lie?

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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