let up

British  

verb

1. to diminish, slacken, or stop

2. informal (foll by on) to be less harsh (towards someone)

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noun

1. informal a lessening or abatement

let up Idioms  

1. See let down , def. 2.

2. Cease, stop entirely, as in The rain has let up so we can go out . [Late 1700s]

3. let up on . Be or become more lenient with, take the pressure off, as in Why don't you let up on the child? [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

When you think you need to show over and over so that you belong at the top, you don’t let up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Stephens, founder of independent wealth and family-office advisory Evertern Wealth, saw accelerating interest in this message during the Covid pandemic, but it hasn’t let up.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

Elsewhere in the UK, the persistent rain over recent weeks has resulted in ongoing flooding with no significant let up expected until the middle of next month at the earliest.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

This hostile mode of “Spooning” has worked well enough that it won’t let up anytime soon; in just the past couple months, the private firm also brought AOL and Eventbrite into its portfolio.

From Slate • Jan. 23, 2026

Students didn’t let up for one minute, chirping on about my folks, my mother’s teaching, and things I considered personal and sacred.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals