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

Collective bargaining between players and schools would allow for enforceable rules, but years of organizing attempts have yielded little tangible progress so far. — Matt Baker, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

One of the biggest threats to sports integrity stems from prop betting, which allows for betting on non-final-score events, such as an athlete’s free-throw percentage or number of receptions. — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026

The habeas statute directs judges to give the government three days to initially respond with justification for the detention but allows for that deadline to be extended up to 20 days. — Carla Astudillo, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026

The centralization of this equipment allows for scale and efficiency. — Greta Reich, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for allow for

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