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 However, quantum mechanics allows electrons to move between bands through a process known as tunneling. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026 The most common and most aggressive form of these 287(g) partnerships, the Task Force Model, allows police and sheriff's departments to make immigration arrests. — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026 The new policy allows some licensed pharmacists to produce compounds made up of multiple peptides—provided that those peptides are made by registered manufacturers. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026 Choose a time that works with your life and allows enough rest. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 28 Oct. 2026 Launched on Monday, the programme allows eligible creators with as few as 500 subscribers to tag products in videos, Shorts, and livestreams. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026 This program allows parents of any income level to use US$8,000 in state money on average, based on county of residence, for their children’s private or homeschooling education. — Liv Coleman, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026 The restricted operations status, which the department introduced in August amid flare-ups in the war with Iran, allows embassies to reduce staffing and services without fully suspending operations. — Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 State law allows a penalty of up to $5,000 per violation and directs that all of the money go to New Mexico's school system, Torrez told reporters after the verdict. — Reuters, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for allows

Verb

The prohibition on gathering ramps extends to the Eastern Band of Cherokee, though a recent agreement with the National Park Service permits several dozen members to gather sochan within park boundaries.

— Tovar Cerulli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
The ordinance permits Highfill to apply excess bond proceeds to retire debt early if construction costs come in below projections, and the city holds the option to call and prepay bonds without penalty starting June 1, 2033.

— Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of permits

Verb

Ye-ji has a hunky hedge-fund-type husband, Sang-woo (Zo In-sung), who condescendingly tolerates, but doesn’t finance, his wife’s cinematic caprices.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Even if your skin generally tolerates exfoliation well, dermatologists warn that AHAs can increase sun sensitivity, making your skin more vulnerable to UV damage.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of tolerates

Verb

And in a possible catch-22, Anthropic admits that rising global temperatures — a symptom of burning fossil fuels — will increase the company’s operating costs.

— Justine Calma, The Verge, 26 Oct. 2026
Ramirez, who once taught snowboarding at the resort and has held other jobs there, admits he feels emotionally attached to the property.

— Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of admits

Verb

Hinson said the bill’s reductions to Medicaid spending for Iowa will be offset by the Rural Health Transformation Program, which allots $50 billion divided among all 50 states over the next five years.

— Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
When a team allots minutes to so many young players simultaneously, lapses in concentration and on-court mistakes are bound to happen.

— Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

Definition of allots

Verb

Saab says the design enables continuous upgrades as operational needs change, potentially allowing new processing capabilities to be introduced without replacing the entire radar system.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
That’s largely due to Apple’s ultra-wideband chip, which enables Precision Finding and guides you to an object’s exact location with on-screen arrows, vibrations, and sounds.

— Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of enables

Verb

The project also reflects the increasing importance of reliable manufacturing capacity in industries that depend on sophisticated electronic, sensing and space-related technologies.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
This roster also reflects The District’s appeal to brands expanding selectively — with Adam Lippes, Pucci, Altuzarra and Maison Francis Kurkdjian choosing it for their Texas debuts, alongside Biologique Recherche’s sole Texas residence.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of reflects

Verb

Larter believes engineers could develop similar mechanisms for hundreds of ordnance types.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Without a clear owner, those recommendations circulate and generate input, and often the leader believes the recommendations turn into action.

— Maureen Metcalf, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026