let up
Britishverb
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to diminish, slacken, or stop
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informal (foll by on) to be less harsh (towards someone)
noun
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See let down , def. 2.
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Cease, stop entirely, as in The rain has let up so we can go out . [Late 1700s]
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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]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This quartet from Kyoto, Japan, put the Mosswood crowd in a stranglehold at the Field Stage and didn’t let up once during its entire set of math-rocky, manic, candy-colored fury.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 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
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
The two men have traded barbs for years, and as it comes down the wire Mr. Trump hasn’t let up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
The rain had let up, the drafts were gone, and bright sunlight streamed through the window.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.