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Synonyms

let up

British  

verb

  1. to diminish, slacken, or stop

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. informal a lessening or abatement

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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]


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.

See Examples For:

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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