let 1 of 2

verb

ˈlet How to pronounce let (audio)
Definition of letnext
1
as in to allow
to give permission to my parents would not let me drive until I had a job and could pay for my own gas

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2
as in to rent
chiefly British to give the possession and use of (something) in return for periodic payment the pensioner has begun letting rooms in her home to earn some extra money

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3
as in to enable
to make able or possible the low gravity on the moon lets you make enormous leaps and jumps

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to tolerate
to fail to prevent (some behavior on someone's part) especially from neglect or indifference they let their kids get away with murder

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

let

2 of 2

noun

as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult artists are allowed to sell their goods in the public square without let or hindrance

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word let different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of let are charter, hire, lease, and rent. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer
decided to let the cottage to a young couple

When is it sensible to use charter instead of let?

While the synonyms charter and let are close in meaning, charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

When could lease be used to replace let?

The words lease and let can be used in similar contexts, but lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

When might rent be a better fit than let?

Although the words rent and let have much in common, rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent
will not rent to families with children

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of let
Verb
For the time being, Pritzker is letting his existing pension-reform proposal speak for itself. —David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025 Dozens more probationary employees were let go -- and then rehired after a court order overturned the administration's terminations. —Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2025 Now, let us (and writer-creator Charlie Brooker) explain. —Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 11 Apr. 2025 Despite legal challenges to these job cuts, estimates suggest that hundreds of thousands have been let go across numerous agencies as a result of the department's actions. —Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for let
Recent Examples of Synonyms for let
  1. allow
  2. rent
  3. enable
  4. tolerate
  5. obstacle
  6. permit
  7. lease
  8. ignore
Verb
  • Jena, Louisiana — An immigration judge in Louisiana on Friday allowed the Trump administration to move forward with its effort to deport Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil, upholding one of the deportation grounds cited by the government.
    — Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Another potential application is machine vision, a mix of software and hardware that, among other things, allows robots, self-driving vehicles, and other machines to orient themselves.
    — Ryan Waniata, Wired News, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of allow
Verb
  • In between the time Tillman was killed and her body was discovered, the resort rented the room to guests who did not know the body was in the closet, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told the Miami Herald.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025
  • If the museum later rents out space, licenses its brand or monetizes the new facility in other ways, investors could see a return on their participation.
    — Larry Bomback, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of rent
Verb
  • Working electricity also enabled the ship to send distress signals, Smithsonian magazine noted, likely saving hundreds of lives.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Their platform, Anchor, enables brands to build individual creator stores.
    — Jamie Gutfreund, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of enable
Verb
  • Read the full Libra Daily Horoscope Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) Sick and tired of tolerating it?
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Despite their native habitat in moist woods and along stream banks, plants tolerate dry soil and drought.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2025
Definition of tolerate
Noun
  • Your passion must propel you forward when obstacles arise.
    — Jay Ruderman, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Significant obstacles remain: insufficient private investment, market fragmentation across 27 member states, and regulatory complexity could undermine Europe's ambitions.
    — Federico Guerrini, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of obstacle
Verb
  • The Court does not express an opinion on whether the Alien Enemies Act actually permits Trump to deport anyone.
    — Ian Millhiser, Vox, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Under former trade agreements, China committed to releasing 34 foreign films per year under revenue-share terms, with overseas studios permitted to a 25 percent share of ticket sales.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of permit
Verb
  • The team moved to north London, leasing the recreation fields in Highbury that would become their stadium, in 1913.
    — Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Each box costs $15,000 to $20,000 to lease and install.
    — Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of lease
Verb
  • And the underlying data from 2024 isn’t something to ignore.
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
  • That is the inevitable outcome of policies that ignore economic realities.
    — Chris Van Gorder, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of ignore

Phrases Containing let

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lessors
let
let alone
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Cite this Entry

“Let.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/let. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on let

Nglish: Translation of let for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about let

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