let; letting; lets
1
: to cause to : make
let me know
2
a
: to give opportunity to or fail to prevent
live and let live
a break in the clouds let us see the summit
let the opportunity slip
b
—used in the imperative to introduce a request or proposal
let us pray
c
—used as an auxiliary to express a warning
let him try
3
: to free from or as if from confinement
let out a scream
let blood
4
: to permit to enter, pass, or leave
let them through
let them off with a warning
5
a
chiefly British
: to offer or grant for rent or lease
let rooms
b
: to assign especially after bids
let a contract
6
: to make an adjustment to
let out the waist
1
chiefly British
: to become rented or leased
2
: to become awarded to a contractor
1
: something that impedes : obstruction
… ruled his little world without hindrance or let …—
B. F. Reilly
2
: a shot or point in racket games that does not count and must be replayed
1
: small one
booklet
2
: article worn on
wristlet
Phrases
let alone
: to leave undisturbed
let the flowers alone
also
: to leave to oneself
wanted to be let alone
1
: to hurl an object
2
: to give unrestrained expression to an emotion or utterance
let fly with some sharp rebukes—Janice Castro
1
: to relax or release one's hold
—used with of
let go of stress—Kathy McCoy
let go of my arm
2
: to abandon self-restraint : let fly
spoke in clipped sentences, as if fearful of letting go—David Kline
there just to party, just to let go—Philippe Vergne
3
: to dismiss from employment
the firm let him go at the end of the month
4
: to fail to take care of : neglect
let himself go and got real fat—Bill Parcells
: to reveal one's true feelings : act without dissimulation
: to subject to vigorous assault
: to act without pretense or self-restraint
1
: to say, do, or release (something or someone) without restraint
She let the ball rip. [=threw the ball very hard/fast]
… on the flat plains of Kansas I let the motor rip, even reaching 70 mph …—David Tracy
… let his anger rip on Twitter when he failed to get any Grammy nomination love.—idolator.com
But keeping rates low to save the banks will let inflation rip.—David McWilliams
… the logic behind the movie is simple: Put Prince on stage and let him rip.—polygon.com
… letting rip a huge fart …—Elizabeth Aubrey
—often used in phrases like let her rip, let 'er rip, and let it rip… Espo [Phil Esposito] let it rip, tearing into fans for booing their team on home ice.—Bill Brioux
We kept telling him, 'You're a great shooter, just step up and let' er rip.'—Mark Few, quoted at spokesman.com
2
: to say or do something without restraint
… let rip at the airline in a series of insulting tweets …—Julia Buckley
… couldn't help but let rip with the swear words …—Julia Hunt and Bekka Barnard
… let rip with a wonderful long-range strike to deliver the winner.—AAP Newsfeed
: to give away a secret
Synonyms
Examples of let in a Sentence
Verb (1)
my parents would not let me drive until I had a job and could pay for my own gas
the pensioner has begun letting rooms in her home to earn some extra money
the low gravity on the moon lets you make enormous leaps and jumps
they let their kids get away with murder
Noun
The first serve was a let.
artists are allowed to sell their goods in the public square without let or hindrance
Recent Examples on the Web
Sam Joseph, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024
The legendary musician will let audiences further into his world when the intimate new documentary–Elton John: Never Too Late–arrives at Disney+ on 13 December.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 2 Dec. 2024
Check out our picks below, and let the holiday shopping unfurl.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 2 Dec. 2024
Last week, the music platform even teased to the release, letting listeners know the recap was on its way.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for let 
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Verb
All the chaos let Zhou Guanyu score his and Sauber’s first points of the season, crossing the line in P8.
—Dictionary Entries Near let
Cite this Entry
“Let.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/let. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
let
2 of 3 verb
let; letting
1
: to cause to : make
let it be known
2
chiefly British
: to give use of in return for payment
rooms to let
3
a
: to allow or permit to
let them go
b
—used to introduce a request
let us hope for the best
4
: to allow to go or pass
let them through
-let
3 of 3 noun suffixlət
1
: small one
booklet
2
: something worn on
anklet
Etymology
Noun suffix
derived from early French -elet "small one," from -el and -et, both suffixes meaning "small"
Legal Definition
let
verb
let; letting
1
: to offer or grant for rent, lease, or hire : lease
may not be alienated, let, or encumbered
corporeal things may be let out
2
: to assign especially after bids
were attempting to let a contract without going through the bidding process—Union Springs Tel. Co. v. Rowell, 623 So. 2d 732 (1993)
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