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

Black lives don’t matter in Warwick Thornton’s fiercely original outback Western Wolfram, a surprisingly emotional genre piece that simmers with menace and doesn’t let up until the bloody finale. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026

The Stripes appeared to be gassed in the finale, but Edwards and his teammates didn't let up. —ABC News, 15 Feb. 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