1
as in to permit
to give permission for or to approve of
flash photography is not allowed inside the church
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to let
to give permission to
a boarding school that does not allow students to go on weekend trips without written permission
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to tolerate
to fail to prevent (some behavior on someone's part) especially from neglect or indifference
only a lazy gardener would allow the weeds to grow that high
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to admit
to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly
I'll allow I probably said more than I should have
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to allot
to give as a share or portion
allowed each camper one match to light his fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to enable
to make able or possible
a patient's canceled appointment allowed the doctor to squeeze in a few extra phone calls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to reflect
to make a statement of one's opinion
he allowed that their new house looked very nice
Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in to think
chiefly Southern & Midland
to have as an opinion
people in these parts allow that everyone is entitled to one mistake in life, even if it's a doozy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in to intend
chiefly Southern & Midland
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
I allow to go hunting before the season is over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of allow
However, the bill was so contentious that in order to squeak it through, legislators stuffed it full of carve-outs and exemptions, allowing cities to delay implementation by passing their own plans to add density.
—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
In the video, the LAPD officer can be heard citing California Vehicle Code Section 22651(n), a law that allows law enforcement to tow and impound vehicles parked in restricted zones.
—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
The uninterrupted sun dries out soil increasing drought risk, and light winds allow pollutants to build up, worsening air quality, particularly in urban areas.
—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Adding to the uncertainty, Congress allowed Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire last year, which caused insurance premiums to spike for millions more people.
—
Tamar Hallerman,
AJC.com,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for allow
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
In the video, the LAPD officer can be heard citing California Vehicle Code Section 22651(n), a law that allows law enforcement to tow and impound vehicles parked in restricted zones.
—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
The uninterrupted sun dries out soil increasing drought risk, and light winds allow pollutants to build up, worsening air quality, particularly in urban areas.
—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Adding to the uncertainty, Congress allowed Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire last year, which caused insurance premiums to spike for millions more people.
—
Tamar Hallerman,
AJC.com,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for allow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allow
Verb
-
Gary Chan, who obtained a federal explosives permit for the company, has been charged with seven counts of murder and six charges related to the possession and transportation of explosives.
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The Heat began Tuesday by retaining three-point shooting forward Simone Fontecchio in free agency, and then continued to address its need for outside shooting when league-wide free agent negotiations were permitted to begin Tuesday night.
Verb
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Officials advise the public to give bears space and not let pets bother them.
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The method lets scientists detect extremely weak electric and magnetic fields that can interfere with fragile quantum states.
Verb
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Beyond that, a truce means whatever the negotiators will tolerate as long as none backs out of talks.
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Today’s challenge is building genuine relationships, creating strong global teams, and leveraging diversity rather than merely tolerating it.
Verb
-
The company agreed to settle the case without admitting liability.
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But even Willis admits AI can be a helpful tool in the right capacity.
Verb
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In declining the option, the Hawks now have access to all of the $15 million allotted to their nontaxpayer midlevel exception.
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This thing is seriously massive, featuring way too many goodies to list in the space allotted here.
Verb
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That political independence has enabled the Fed to make decisions that might be unpopular in the short term, but that have the best interests of the US economy in mind for the long term.
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The service enables anyone to show up at a DASH office with a package less than 16 ounces and get it on the next flight out, subject to Transportation Security Administration regulations.
Verb
-
Trump blames vandalism for the troubles with the reflecting pool renovation, announces people are being arrested.
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The first-of-its-kind event reflected a party eager to experiment and broaden its appeal beyond the traditional political crowd.
Verb
-
Everybody thought this match was going to be a walk in the park.
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There was at least one person who thought to protest over the situation.
Cite this Entry
“Allow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allow. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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