let off
Britishverb
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(also preposition) to allow to disembark or leave
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to explode or fire (a bomb, gun, etc)
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(also preposition) to excuse from (work or other responsibilities)
I'll let you off for a week
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to allow to get away without the expected punishment, work, etc
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to let (accommodation) in portions
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to release (liquid, air, etc)
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See steam
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to give (a light punishment) to someone
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Release by exploding; see blow off steam .
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Allow to go free or escape; excuse from punishment. For example, They let her off from attending graduation , or The headmaster let him off with a reprimand . [Early 1800s] Also see off the hook .
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.
Gene looks her way and the pressure on my chest lets off just enough for me to scramble away to the side.
From Literature
Flares were let off, ticker tape flickered in the air and a stunning tifo rose from the terraces with an accompanying banner reading "For my town, for my club".
From BBC
Way back in the 1980s, when the first bond trader was let off his leash and lost hundreds of millions of dollars, Merrill was there to take the hit.
From Literature
A bit of “steam being let off AI-related names opens up the trade to more individuals coming in,” said Pavlik at Dakota Wealth.
From MarketWatch
A bit of “steam being let off AI-related names opens up the trade to more individuals coming in,” said Pavlik at Dakota Wealth.
From MarketWatch
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.