allow for

verb

allowed for; allowing for; allows for

1

: to think about or plan for (something that will or might happen in the future)

When purchasing property, the company should allow for possible future growth/expansion.

2

: to consider (something) when one makes a calculation

The total distance, allowing for detours, is about 10 miles.

If you allow for inflation, he's actually earning less money now than he was 10 years ago.

3

: to make (something) possible

The design of the system allows for easy upgrades.

Examples of allow for in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This key trial will take place either on the ISS or on the Artemis 3 mission, which Isaacman's administration changed in March from a moon landing to allow for testing of a human landing system closer to home. —Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026

Expanding the playoff to 16 teams, for example, would allow for more playoff spots and take some of the disadvantages of tough schedules away from those conferences. —Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026

The ban will affect students at all non-high school campuses, while only certain e-bikes will be allowed for high schoolers, district officials said. —Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026

Mermaid Look For the mermaid, one of the biggest visual challenges, the team opted for practical rather than CGI effects, for budget reasons but also to allow for more realistic scenes. —Annika Pham, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for allow for

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore