ALLOWS Synonyms: 291 Similar and Opposite Words

allows

verb

present tense third-person singular of allow

as in permits

to give permission for or to approve of flash photography is not allowed inside the church

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Relevance

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as in lets

to give permission to a boarding school that does not allow students to go on weekend trips without written permission

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as in tolerates

to fail to prevent (some behavior on someone's part) especially from neglect or indifference only a lazy gardener would allow the weeds to grow that high

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as in admits

to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly I'll allow I probably said more than I should have

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as in allots

to give as a share or portion allowed each camper one match to light his fire

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as in enables

to make able or possible a patient's canceled appointment allowed the doctor to squeeze in a few extra phone calls

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as in reflects

to make a statement of one's opinion he allowed that their new house looked very nice

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as in believes

chiefly Southern & Midland to have as an opinion people in these parts allow that everyone is entitled to one mistake in life, even if it's a doozy

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as in intends

chiefly Southern & Midland to have in mind as a purpose or goal I allow to go hunting before the season is over

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of allows The approach allows facilities to generate electricity from an existing byproduct rather than adding another fuel source. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026 No visit to Lithfield is complete without a visit to The White Memorial Conservation Center, and in particular, the Little Pond Boardwalk, an elevated walkway that allows visitors to experience the wetland environment. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026 Wilson and Ahn shared how AI can cut costs, while Kurpanek noted that affordability allows more stories to be told. — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026 Windows, lamps, and other light sources impact how an image appears, and reducing reflections allows viewers to maintain a clearer view of the screen. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026 Madden, whose most popular films, including Shakespeare in Love and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, always work in the service of their casts, demonstrates an unforced touch that allows both the story and his leads ample room to breathe. — Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026 The traditional model assumes defenders will have time to identify, investigate and contain threats, but more and more, attackers are operating faster than that model allows. — Chris Dimitriadis, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026 Moscatiello allows her 8- and 5-year-old daughters to bike to school with friends. — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 And the pre-screen allows fliers to not have to remove belts, shoes or unload laptops and compliant liquids from luggage. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for allows

Verb

Housing shortages sometimes happen when cities can’t issue residential building permits fast enough to keep vacancy rates low and rent high in a secondary market.

— Justin Donald, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Norway permits gambling only via state monopolies aimed at preventing gambling problems and at funneling profits to nonprofits.

— Jonathan Caulkins, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of permits

Verb

Moore’s Mona Friedman is indeed a familiar figure, a shy and impressionable wife who quietly nods along at dinner, lets people cut in front of her at the store, and seems generally uninterested in sticking up for herself.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
The Home Rule Act of 1973 lets residents elect a mayor, a council and neighborhood commissioners.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of lets

Verb

Data Diversity One limitation, admits Darrell, is that his data comes from a single instance of robotic hardware.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 10 Sep. 2026
Armed with strings of profanity and his thick Mancunian brogue, Liam admits that being back in front of an audience does, in fact, mean a lot to him.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of admits

Verb

Technology that enables digital product creation, like 3D design software, is already helping accelerate progress.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
Combining this with company policies and purchase history provides the remaining context that enables agents to work effectively.

— Alex Saric, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of enables

Verb

The six-machine launch reflects the company’s wider attempt to develop into a more comprehensive supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment rather than remaining focused on a single part of the fabrication process.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
The interest, in part, reflects the broader peptide-craze that has increasingly entered the mainstream wellness and longevity space.

— Will Stone, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of reflects

Verb

Anyone who believes they were victimized by Lynch or has information relevant to the investigation is asked to contact Prince George’s County detectives.

— Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Episode 4 begins with Stuart confined to a mental health facility, where he’s heavily medicated and quietly judged by a psychiatrist who believes his visions of alternate universes are all in his head.

— Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2026