let slip

1. Also, ; let slide . Miss an opportunity; waste time. For example, We forgot to buy a ticket and let our big chance slip by , or He let the whole day slide by . The first term dates from the mid-1500s, the variant from the late 1500s.

2. Also, let slip out . Reveal something, usually inadvertently, as in He let it slip out that he had applied for the vacant position . [Mid-1800s]

3. let slip through one's fingers . Fail to seize an opportunity, as in We could have won the trophy but we let it slip through our fingers . [First half of 1600s]

Example Sentences

But even he let slip that he "didn't really imagine this" as a scenario at the end of day two.

From BBC

Each county looks as it does in part because the vast Spanish land grants gave Orange County something L.A. had let slip away: immense tracts to build on.

From Los Angeles Times

But showrunner and creator Jenny Han, who adapted the coming-of-age romantic drama from her own bestselling YA novels, is the last person who’d let slip whether fans will get the swoony endgame of their dreams or one that deviates from the books.

From Los Angeles Times

As against Bournemouth in their first game of the season at Anfield, Liverpool let slip a 2-0 lead before winning late on, looking horribly vulnerable in defence in the process.

From BBC

The PGA Tour's newest winner also let slip a good chance when Justin Rose surged through to win in Memphis at the start of the play-offs.

From BBC

Related Words

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• announce 
• confess 
• declare 
• disclose 
• explain 
• express 
• inform 
• instruct 
• mention 
• notify 
• order 
• report 
• reveal 
• say 
• speak 
• state 
• summon