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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
When this occurs, gaps in between the poles let drivers dangerously move between express lanes and regular lanes. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2025 With two outs in the bottom of the ninth in San Francisco on Tuesday, Francona, the Cincinnati Reds’ manager, let Hunter Greene chase his first career nine-inning shutout. —Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025 Others, like the Miami Marlins, let players take one jersey and charge them for more. —Brittany Ghiroli, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025 The New York Yankees let two-time All-Star Gleyber Torres walk in free agency after losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. —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
  • The rules will also allow carmakers to report less severe crashes monthly, and add a property damage reporting threshold for less severe crashes involving self-driving vehicles.
    — David Shepardson, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • During the search, Ortega-Lopez was allowed to make a phone call before being taken to the Doña Ana County Detention Center (DACDC).
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Definition of allow
Verb
  • Healy asked at the committee meeting whether the village had investigated renting screens when needed.
    — Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Colocation data centers involve renting space for servers and computing hardware rather than relying on in-house or private facilities.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2025
Definition of rent
Verb
  • Archer Aviation Archer's efforts to secure what's called 'Type Certification' from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Midnight could enable the eVTOL company to operate out of major airports.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Phishing attacks often attempt to get people to share personal information, like Social Security numbers, which enables criminals to access finances.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of enable
Verb
  • Some are bred to tolerate warmer or colder temperatures.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Treat divergence not as something to tolerate but as a strategic asset.
    — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Definition of tolerate
Noun
  • The Arches is designed for all-around off-roading, while the Cliffhanger is geared toward slow, technical obstacles.
    — Jamie L. LaReau, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • However, the obstacle avoidance technology included in the X10 Pro Omni has a 3D MatrixEye.
    — Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 23 Apr. 2025
Definition of obstacle
Verb
  • His White House permitted the attorney general to say that the man’s wife and child are better off without Garcia.
    — Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2025
  • If time permits, disconnect utilities and appliances.
    — STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Apr. 2025
Definition of permit
Verb
  • The state will lease Laurel Park racetrack for three years at a cost of one dollar per year.
    — Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Enfield Council owns the land the tree was located on, and it is leased to Toby Carvery.
    — Olivia Kemp, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of lease
Verb
  • Wallen briefly hugged the actress but seemed to ignore the rest of the cast and quickly walked past view of the camera.
    — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year.
    — Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 18 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 30 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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