let (someone) off the hook
idiom
: to allow (someone who has been caught doing something wrong or illegal) to go without being punished
If you ask me, they let him off the hook too easily.
Examples of let (someone) off the hook in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Two City Hall staffers arrested and charged on domestic assault allegations have been fired, according to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s office, but Wu's top mayoral opponent and a city councilor are asking why an unnamed supervisor was let off the hook.
—
Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 20 May 2025
Considering the circumstances, many assumed the father would be let off the hook.
—Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Sassoon, a Republican, said the deal amounted to a quid pro quo, one that would see Adams let off the hook in exchange for giving Trump free rein to target New York City’s immigrant communities.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025
Tortorella, though, can’t be let off the hook for that team’s dramatic collapse, which included an eight-game losing streak and a string of unfortunate headlines.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for let (someone) off the hook
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Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 20 May 2025
Considering the circumstances, many assumed the father would be let off the hook.
—Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Sassoon, a Republican, said the deal amounted to a quid pro quo, one that would see Adams let off the hook in exchange for giving Trump free rein to target New York City’s immigrant communities.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025
Tortorella, though, can’t be let off the hook for that team’s dramatic collapse, which included an eight-game losing streak and a string of unfortunate headlines.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for let (someone) off the hook
Cite this Entry
“Let (someone) off the hook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/let%20%28someone%29%20off%20the%20hook. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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