let on

verb

let on; letting on; lets on
Synonyms of let onnext

intransitive verb

1
: to make acknowledgment : admit
knows more than he lets on
2
: to reveal a secret
nobody let on about the surprise party
3
: pretend
let on to being a stranger

Examples of let on in a Sentence

she's not half as innocent as she likes to let on
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even the ideology of the group’s patron saint was more complicated than the ACC lets on. Gaby Del Valle, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 Eventually, the girl let on that her classmate had indeed been bothering her, poking her in the back and face with his fingers — but did not say the boy had threatened to kill her, according to the police report. Jeff Ernsthausen, ProPublica, 23 Mar. 2026 What happens next could matter far more than either side is letting on. Mark Minevich, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026 But the negotiators have made less progress on this issue than Zelensky has let on. Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for let on

Word History

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of let on was in 1725

Cite this Entry

“Let on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/let%20on. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

let on

verb
1
: admit sense 1b, reveal
don't let on that I told you
2
: pretend entry 1 sense 2
he's not as happy as he lets on

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