letup

1 of 2

noun

let·​up ˈlet-ˌəp How to pronounce letup (audio)
: 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

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
The challenges for Netanyahu are abundant, forming a circle that is seemingly impossible to square: His ultranationalist, far-right coalition partners are threatening to bring down the government if there is any letup in the war. Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024 Even though a civilian government took office in September after almost a decade of military rule, there has been no letup in the number of prosecutions against people who have criticized the monarchy. Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2024 End of carousel In the hours before the pause was to begin, there was no sign in Gaza of a letup in violence. Susannah George, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023 The trajectory of sales growth is slowing to be sure, yet the larger trend toward EV adoption shows no letup. Jon Markman, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 The secretary of state had come to the region trying to build support for a humanitarian pause in fighting, roundly rejected by Israel, with no letup in the fight raging inside Gaza. CBS News, 5 Nov. 2023 The federal government has declared the first-ever shortage of water on the Colorado River, triggering cutbacks in several states that will hit farmers particularly hard during a drought that has punished the Southwest with little letup since the turn of the century. Jim Carlton, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2021 Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow night: Showers should become less frequent as the evening progresses, but a significant letup is not likely until dawn. David Streit, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2023 While the drama was unfolding, there was no letup in the war: Russian forces fired more than 50 missiles across Ukraine before dawn Saturday. Julian E. Barnes, BostonGlobe.com, 25 June 2023
Verb
And so far this year, corporate giants show no signs of letting up. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 Her behavior and her plot aren’t always in sync, but Evans never lets up in her intensity. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Kittle let up after completing his firm block of Chiefs end George Karlaftis that had created a lane for McCaffrey. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Feb. 2024 Someone who doesn’t let up and keeps going for the full six minutes. Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 2 Feb. 2024 This growth could’ve been chalked up to another quirky quarantine hobby, but interest hasn’t let up, according to Ronayne. Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 24 Jan. 2024 The Red Raiders came out swinging and never let up to pick up a marquee win on their home floor, giving Grant McCasland his first win over a Top-10 team in his Red Raider tenure. Nathan Giese, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 In some parts of Buffalo, snow was falling at rates of 3-5 inches per hour before the storm finally let up Sunday night. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024 The Bruins’ normally stout defense wilted while giving up 57 points in the second half and their season-long offensive struggles showed no signs of letting up while generating only 21 points over the final 20 minutes. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'letup.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1836, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of letup was in 1787

Dictionary Entries Near letup

Cite this Entry

“Letup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/letup. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

letup

1 of 2 noun
let·​up ˈlet-ˌəp How to pronounce letup (audio)
: 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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