leave no stone unturned
Meaning
To search very thoroughly and try every possible option to find something or achieve a result.
Origin
Often traced to an ancient Greek story: an oracle told Polycrates to find a treasure βleaving no stone unturned,β popularized in English through later translations and literary use, becoming a metaphor for exhaustive searching.
Notes
Emphasizes exhaustive effort in searching/investigating or pursuing a goal. Slightly formal; can be used hyperbolically in everyday contexts.
Examples
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The detectives vowed to leave no stone unturned in their search for the missing child.
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Before launching the product, we left no stone unturned to identify potential safety issues.
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She left no stone unturned when researching scholarships for graduate school.
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To win the contract, the team left no stone unturned in preparing their proposal.
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After losing the documents, he left no stone unturned trying to figure out where he had put them.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed phrase: usually βleave no stone unturned (in + gerund)β or βleave no stone unturned to + verb.β Can be inflected (left no stone unturned). Often takes a purpose clause.
Synonyms
- do everything possible
- explore every avenue
- exhaust all options
- turn over every stone
Antonyms
- leave it at that
- take it easy
- give up
- not bother