let off

phrasal verb

let off; letting off; lets off

1

: to allow (someone) to get off a bus, an airplane, etc.

Could you let me off (the bus) at the next stop, please?

The bus stopped to let off a few passengers.

2

: to allow (someone who has been caught doing something wrong or illegal) to go without being punished

The police officer let her off with just a warning.

They let him off easy/easily/lightly, if you ask me.

3

: to cause (something) to explode or to be released in a forceful way

let off a firecracker

opened the valve to let off pressure

Examples of let off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In postwar Communist Poland, under the auspices of the Ministry of Art and Culture, designers were pretty much let off the leash. —Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026

There was little jockeying among front-runners, as the first-place finisher took a commanding lead early on and never let off the gas. —Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026

Officers let off tear gas and pepper bombs. —Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026

For children, playtime isn’t just about letting off a little steam — or giving their parents and teachers a break. —Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for let off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff