let someone down

Idioms  

1. Fail to support someone; also, disappoint someone. For example, I was counting on John to come, but he let me down , or The team didn't want to let down the coach . [Late 1400s] A British phrase with the same meaning is let the side down , alluding to some kind of competition (sports, politics) and dating from the mid-1900s. It is occasionally used in America.

2. let someone down easy . Convey bad or disappointing news in a considerate way, so as to spare the person's self-respect. For example, The teacher knew that Paul would have to repeat the course and that there was no way to let him down easy . [ Colloquial ; mid-1700s] Also see let down .

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Example Sentences

"There is no point me saying if someone has let someone down," he said.

From BBC

You might disappoint some relatives or friends, but “we are always going to let someone down,” he said.

From Washington Post

“The reason that people are so upset on social media right now is not because the Marine on the battlefield let someone down,” Scheller said in the video, which he posted to Facebook and LinkedIn.

From Washington Post

“The reason people are so upset on social media right now is not because the Marine on the battlefield let someone down,” he said.

From Seattle Times

There's a time and place for that," Berger had written. "The reason people are so upset on social media right now is not because the Marine on the battlefield let someone down.

From Fox News