to give vent to; emit
to let out a howl
to allow to go or run free; release
(may take a clause as object) to reveal (a secret)
to make available to tenants, hirers, or contractors
to permit to flow out
to let air out of the tyres
to make (a garment) larger, as by unpicking (the seams) and sewing nearer the outer edge
Allow to get out ; also see get out of .
Make known, reveal, as in I thought it was a secret—who let it out? [First half of 1800s] Also see let the cat out of the bag .
Come to a close, end, as in What time does school let out? [Late 1800s]
Increase the size of a garment, as in May's coat needs to be let out across the shoulders . This usage refers to opening some of the seams. [Late 1700s]
First recorded in 1830–40; adj., noun use of verb phrase let out
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He does have the let-out proviso – “to the best of my ability” – which leaves plenty of room to accommodate his skew-shift views about what he thinks needs preserving, protecting and defending.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 17, 2017
Admittedly Cameron did have a let-out: a letter from a Labour health minister saying there wasn't enough evidence in favour of plain packaging.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 17, 2013
Other calls use the widely-abused "permission to call" let-out clause in the TPS rules.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 16, 2013
His welcome in Buenos Aires was in some contrast to Brazil's let-out friendliness.
From Time Magazine Archive
Nobody remained at home but ould Jack Rafferty an' his wife, who stopped to dress the dinner, for, to tell the truth, it was to be a great let-out entirely.
From Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry by Yeats, W. B. (William Butler)
Williams clawed back a few times when she looked good and cooked, and when she did that, she let out a signature Serena “Come on!”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
At that point, the then mayor of Greater Manchester let out a sigh and told me "you just can't keep having referendum after referendum".
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Everyone around me got to breathe and scream and let out their frustrations about our nation in the most delightful way imaginable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
With 54 minutes on the clock, Ben Gannon-Doak let out a roar, clenched his fist and punched the air after shielding the ball out for a Scotland goal-kick.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
Then with a sigh she let out the breath, set the glass on the sideboard, and sat down.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
