not to be sneezed at

1. Also, nothing to sneeze at. Not to be ignored or dismissed, as in It's a great honor, not to be sneezed at, or That salary of his is nothing to sneeze at. This expression presumably alludes to turning up one's nose in disdain. [c. 1800]

Example Sentences

The importance of maintaining a healthy scalp is not to be sneezed at, and lice are no picnic either.

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It’s hard to overstate the importance of this quirky scientific venture, pitched in ads and newspapers as “a cheap and comfortable holiday” that was “not to be sneezed at.”

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Unlike the wretched ragweed, they are not to be sneezed at.

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Even so, a 0.8% increase is not to be sneezed at, and is evidence perhaps that the back-to-basics reforms of chief executive Steve Rowe, which include hundreds of job losses at head office and the closure of most of the international stores, is having some effect.

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“Never mind, Mrs. Dowdel. As I have said, a red ribbon for second place is not to be sneezed at or scorned. You did right well.”

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