let-out
Americanadjective
noun
verb
-
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
noun
-
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]
Etymology
Origin of let-out
First recorded in 1830–40; adj., noun use of verb phrase let out
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.
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
“If you’re a 2011 or a 2012 grad, the competition just got fierce — even more fierce — with the let-out of the 2013 class,” said Alexa Hamill, the United States campus recruiting leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
From New York Times
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
Other calls use the widely-abused "permission to call" let-out clause in the TPS rules.
From The Guardian
The great let-out is that "we are all to blame".
From The Guardian
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.
