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• Let sleeping dogs lie
  Let sleeping dogs lie

  Do not stir up a problem that has lain quiet for some time.
• let sleeping dogs lie
  let sleeping dogs lie

  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.

Let sleeping dogs lie

Cultural  

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

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let sleeping dogs lie Idioms  

1. 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

See Examples For:

Let sleeping dogs lie let sleeping dogs lie

An old expression came to us: Let sleeping dogs lie.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 31, 2021

And her message to me was: Let sleeping dogs lie.

From Time ● May 23, 2016

Let sleeping dogs lie, he thought to himself, remembering the dinner.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz

"Let sleeping dogs lie," Jack answered, in the same words as Dr. Marten.

From Recalled to Life by Allen, Grant

Let sleeping dogs lie, I say, and if you think the beasts are mad, report to the authorities.

From Huntingtower by Buchan, John

Maybe sometimes we should let sleeping dogs lie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025

The sage advice is to let sleeping dogs lie, but the new film “Cruella” couldn’t resist shaking the poor creatures awake to the plight of a woman known for trying to murder them.

From Washington Post ● May 28, 2021

I also realize sometimes it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie and don’t want to bring up a painful memory for her unnecessarily.

From Slate ● Jan. 23, 2021

"I was slightly concerned people might say I should let sleeping dogs lie, but I haven't received a single derogatory remark," she says.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2019

And Father said, “Best to let sleeping dogs lie, I reckon.”

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon