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

See Examples For:

let up

The American version kicks off with the one-two-three punch of “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” “Yesterday’s Papers” and “Ruby Tuesday” and doesn’t let up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

The resistance efforts haven’t let up: A new grassroots organization called Box Elder Accountability Referendum filed for a process to allow voters to overturn the commission’s approval.

From Slate ● Jun. 1, 2026

“They don’t let up with the phone calls,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

However, after clawing her way back to 5-4 from 5-1 down in the tie-break, Raducanu's resistance let up and Sierra secured victory after an hour and 45 minutes.

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

After the rain let up, he pulled on some clothes and went into the slanted red barn to see the swallows.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby