letup

1 of 2

noun

let·​up ˈlet-ˌəp 

: a lessening of effort, activity, or intensity

let up

2 of 2

verb

let up; letting up; lets up

intransitive verb

1

a

: to diminish or slow down : slacken

b

: cease, stop

2

: to become less severe

—used with on

Synonyms of letup

Noun

• slowdown
• decline
• deceleration
• drop
• slump
• retardation
• braking

Verb

• stop
• conclude
• end
• expire
• cease
• halt
• go

Examples of letup in a Sentence

Noun

the downpour continued for hours without letup

Verb

the rain let up just as we reached the house

the windmill slowed down as the wind let up

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

With the primary just weeks away, Texans can expect no letup in fundraising appeals from all sides in a race projected to top $300 million in spending by its end in November. —Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 30 Jan. 2026

Trump recently rolled out his health care plan, and a White House official said the president also will release a housing plan soon, with no letup in his frenetic pace. —Zac Anderson, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026

Verb

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound corner let up just 25 catches on 52 targets for 330 yards with three touchdowns, one INT and six PBUs as a senior in 2025, per PFF. —Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026

Though the premise sounds far-fetched, Cammell creates a sense of overwhelming dread that never lets up as the threat of an unstoppable AI grows more and more personal, migrating from theory, to our homes, to our bodies. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1836, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for letup

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

letup

1 of 2 noun

let·​up ˈlet-ˌəp 

: a lessening of effort or force

let up

2 of 2 verb

1

: to slow down : slacken

2

: to come to a stop : cease

the rain let up

3

: to ease off : be less severe

—used with on