prayer, not a

Idioms  

1. see under not a hope in hell.

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Example Sentences

In a national television interview broadcast on Wednesday morning, the student at the center of the spectacle, Nicholas Sandmann, repeated a claim he made Sunday, that he was trying to defuse the situation, wearing a smile of silent prayer, not a condescending smirk, as he stood nose-to-nose with Omaha tribe elder Nathan Phillips.

From The Guardian

When the Pope closed his remarks with the words, “God bless America,” it was a prayer, not a boast.

From Time

“People were angry with the church leadership for taking in sick people in the church — it’s a place of prayer, not a hospital,” said Mr. Moseray, 42, the assistant pastor, explaining that some members had yet to return.

From New York Times

You don’t have to work for a think tank to know that as America ages, as the baby boomers grow old, there are fewer workers for every retiree, and that praying for economic growth to pay off our mushrooming debt is just that: a prayer, not a policy.

From Washington Post

Prayer not a Buddhist institution—nor originally a Christian one.

From Project Gutenberg