How do you say “Leave no stone unturned” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is nichts unversucht lassen, which literally means “to leave nothing untried”. English speakers use leave no stone unturned to mean to try every possible method or look in every place to solve a problem or find something. This is the universal, natural way in German to say you will do everything humanly possible to solve a problem. It fits both professional and personal contexts seamlessly. Register: neutral, formal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
nichts unversucht lassen
[nɪçts ʊnfɛɐ̯ˈzuːxt ˈlasn̩]
- Literal meaning
- “to leave nothing untried”
- Register
- neutral, formal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
95 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
While English relies on the vivid physical metaphor of turning over stones, standard German naturally expresses this commitment with the negative construction 'nichts unversucht lassen' ('to leave nothing untried'). It conveys the exact same resolve, exhaustiveness, and gravity as 'leave no stone unturned', making it the go-to translation in journalism, politics, and corporate settings.
A major pitfall for German learners is the idiom 'keinen Stein auf dem anderen lassen'. Despite the shared mention of stones, this expression has biblical roots and means to leave nothing standing or to tear something down completely. If a stone metaphor is desired, modern German speakers do say 'jeden Stein umdrehen' (particularly when auditing or restructuring), but 'nichts unversucht lassen' remains the most natural and versatile equivalent.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
alle Hebel in Bewegung setzen
Literally: “to set all levers in motion”
More idiomatic and dynamic; emphasizes pulling strings or mobilizing resources.
jeden Stein umdrehen
Literally: “to turn over every stone”
Common in business, politics, and investigations when scrutinizing every detail or expense.
Common translation traps
keinen Stein auf dem anderen lassen
This is a dangerous false friend meaning to destroy completely or raze something to the ground, rather than to search thoroughly.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in German.
In context
English
The police promised to leave no stone unturned to find the missing witness.
German
Die Polizei versprach, nichts unversucht zu lassen, um den vermissten Zeugen zu finden.
English
We will leave no stone unturned until we identify the root cause of the error.
German
Wir werden nichts unversucht lassen, bis wir die eigentliche Fehlerursache gefunden haben.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-11