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, we worked ahead of Dad all morning, the best boys in the world, and Dad never let on that he knew why.

From Literature

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