let on

British  

verb

1. to allow (something, such as a secret) to be known; reveal

   he never let on that he was married

2. (tr) to cause or encourage to be believed; pretend

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let on Idioms  

1. Reveal one's true feelings or a fact, allow something to be known, as in Don't let on that you met her before . This usage is probably a shortening of let it on someone . [c. 1700]

2. Pretend, as in He let on that he was very angry, but in fact he didn't care a bit . [First half of 1800s] Also see let in on .

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Example Sentences

Still, that distinction may have a shorter shelf life than executives are letting on.

From Barron's

If he noticed me staring at him, he didn’t let on.

From Literature

I let on like I hadn’t seen this because I knew what it was.

From Literature

Only now I suspected Gran knew more than she let on, but for some reason, she wanted to keep it from me.

From Literature

“I think he’s running out of steam,” a few of my D.C. happy hour comrades confessed Wednesday after the hearings, “Or he’s really sicker than he lets on.”

From Salon