Synonyms

let off

British

verb

(also preposition) to allow to disembark or leave
to explode or fire (a bomb, gun, etc)
(also preposition) to excuse from (work or other responsibilities)

I'll let you off for a week
to allow to get away without the expected punishment, work, etc
to let (accommodation) in portions
to release (liquid, air, etc)
See steam
to give (a light punishment) to someone

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

let off Idioms

Release by exploding; see blow off steam .
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.

See Examples For:

let off

On Wednesday, residents of the Longthorpe and Netherton area of the city said fireworks were being let off for periods of several minutes during the daytime.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

The tech professional is a member of Jakarta's "Playing Community", a group that gathers after work every Friday to let off steam in ways not usually associated with grown-ups.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

He needed to let off a little steam.

From Slate ● Apr. 6, 2026

Stellantis parking scofflaws today don’t receive a fine and are typically let off with a warning, employees say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

I have to let off some steam before homework, so I open up my self-insert fantasy novel that I’ve been working on since January.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023