leave alone

leave alone (third-person singular simple present leaves alone, present participle leaving alone, simple past and past participle left alone)

1. (transitive) To stop bothering (a person).

   I wish he'd leave me alone.

   We left her alone until she calmed down.

   • 1951 December, “Notes and News: Travel Through the Balkans”, in Railway Magazine, page 854:

     The Greeks leave transit passengers alone on the Svilengrad-Edirne-Pithion section; the Turkish examination is at Edirne. Pithion is a charming and sleepy little oasis in the middle of nowhere.

2. (transitive) To desist or refrain from involvement with.

   It's safest to leave dangerous chemicals alone.

• let alone (verb)

• leave it alone
• leave well enough alone