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

But he didn’t let up, creating J Records, a subsidiary of BMG, and scored hits with artists such as Alicia Keys and Busta Rhymes.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 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

But he was also canny enough to know when to let up on the crew, when to flatter them, when to implore them, when to joke around with them.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown