as in to pretend
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
she's not half as innocent as she likes to let on
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Recent Examples of let on
But as this first trailer lets on, Beetz’s character isn’t one to go down without a fight.
—
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 5 Jan. 2026
In flashbacks, the question of who is at fault in Cooper’s death is much more ambiguous than Aggie lets on in her state of eclipsing grief.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
But if any such expansion plans are in the works, Goldman isn’t letting on.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Then a frantic 19-point rally in the closing minutes made the final score feel closer than most of the night’s action let on.
—Manny Navarro, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for let on
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 5 Jan. 2026
In flashbacks, the question of who is at fault in Cooper’s death is much more ambiguous than Aggie lets on in her state of eclipsing grief.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
But if any such expansion plans are in the works, Goldman isn’t letting on.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Then a frantic 19-point rally in the closing minutes made the final score feel closer than most of the night’s action let on.
—Manny Navarro, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for let on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for let on
pretend
Verb
-
An unremarkable skit with host Tina Fey pretending to be Mary Poppins.—
Scott Bryan,
Variety,
22 Mar. 2026
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That's the county JD Vance pretends to be from.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Let on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/let%20on. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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