let go
Idioms-
Allow to escape, set free, as in The police decided to let him go . [c. 1300]
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Also, let go of . Release one's hold on, as in Please let go of my sleeve , or Once he starts on this subject, he never lets go . [Early 1400s]
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let it go . Allow it to stand or be accepted. For example, Let it go; we needn't discuss it further . This usage is sometimes amplified to let it go at that , meaning “allow matters to stand as they are.” [Late 1800s]
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Cease to employ, dismiss, as in They had to let 20 workers go .
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Also, let oneself go . Behave without restraint, abandon one's inhibitions; also, neglect one's personal hygiene and appearance. For example, When the music began, Jean let herself go and started a wild dance , or After her husband's death she let herself go, forgetting to bathe and staying in her nightgown all day . The first sense dates from the late 1800s, the second from the early 1900s.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But these economists worry that a rate hike could cause a sharp cut in economic activity, which could prompt businesses to let go of workers and ultimately lead to a recession.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
But he got just 63 more big-league at-bats for Montreal before being let go two years later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
In response to questions about why she was let go, Fox called it “a business decision.”
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
"She was saying, 'Don't let go'. And I didn't let go of my daughter. I swear, I didn't let her go," Bicer said.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
He wouldn’t let go, so I decided I wouldn’t either.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
