let on

verb

let on; letting on; lets on

intransitive verb

1

: to make acknowledgment : admit

knows more than he lets on

2

: to reveal a secret

nobody let on about the surprise party

3

: pretend

let on to being a stranger

Synonyms of let on

• pretend
• make believe
• make a show

Examples of let on in a Sentence

she's not half as innocent as she likes to let on

Recent Examples on the Web

But if the contract has more to do with his absence than the Steelers are letting on? — Mike Defabo, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

What the number can actually tell you about your health is more complicated than the marketing lets on. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026

But if the White House is concerned about attendance, Vance isn't letting on. — Tamara Keith, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026

If there’s anything flawed or complicated or even slightly offbeat about its title character, Tenzing isn’t letting on. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for let on

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon

Kids Definition

let on

verb

1

: admit sense 1b, reveal

don't let on that I told you

2

: pretend entry 1 sense 2

he's not as happy as he lets on