let 1 of 2

verb

ˈlet How to pronounce let (audio)
Definition of letnext
1
as in to allow
to give permission to my parents would not let me drive until I had a job and could pay for my own gas

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to rent
chiefly British to give the possession and use of (something) in return for periodic payment the pensioner has begun letting rooms in her home to earn some extra money

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3
as in to enable
to make able or possible the low gravity on the moon lets you make enormous leaps and jumps

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to tolerate
to fail to prevent (some behavior on someone's part) especially from neglect or indifference they let their kids get away with murder

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

let

2 of 2

noun

as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult artists are allowed to sell their goods in the public square without let or hindrance

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word let different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of let are charter, hire, lease, and rent. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer
decided to let the cottage to a young couple

When is it sensible to use charter instead of let?

While the synonyms charter and let are close in meaning, charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

When could lease be used to replace let?

The words lease and let can be used in similar contexts, but lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

When might rent be a better fit than let?

Although the words rent and let have much in common, rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent
will not rent to families with children

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 let
Verb
Ruiz Caldera asked Nielsen to imitate Chiquito, then let the two comedians improvise. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026 YouTube has launched Stations, letting creators run always-on channels for rolling longer-form content. — Annie Corser, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026 The fully modular footwear system uses a patented design that lets a removable Skn insert easily into the top frame while footbed Skn does the same. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026 Given all this history and expansion into new areas over the years, this seemed like a good time to reduce her workload and let others step up, Lokk says. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for let
Recent Examples of Synonyms for let
  1. allow
  2. rent
  3. enable
  4. tolerate
  5. obstacle
  6. permit
  7. lease
  8. ignore
Verb
  • Extensive verification testing accompanied the improvements, allowing engineers to introduce additional capabilities through software updates.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The flexible grant money will allow the organization to initiate projects sooner without waiting for government reimbursements, Morrison-North said.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of allow
Verb
  • Through the hotel, guests can sign up for snowshoe hikes or Bavarian curling lessons and rent ice skates and Nordic skis.
    — Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Nov. 2026
  • James Carras, an affordable housing advocate who joined the meeting, argued people making below 80% of the area median income should be the ones renting the affordable housing under Live Local.
    — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of rent
Verb
  • These enable you to explore the furthest corners of the site, much of which is festooned with gloriously flourishing bougainvillea.
    — James Rampton, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The highly customizable shapes enable applications ranging from drug delivery systems to energy storage devices.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of enable
Verb
  • Voters who are feeling flush may be willing to tolerate a degree of self-dealing from politicians that becomes insupportable when grocery bills are high.
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Most of the new towers remain concrete structures, but they’re now typically clad in glass, metal or masonry, and the frame — while expressed — is generally whipped up into a more interesting confection than Mies would have tolerated.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of tolerate
Noun
  • The vote follows an investigation by The Times that highlighted obstacles faced by people trying to obtain restraining orders in cases of domestic abuse.
    — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Are subtitles still an obstacle for younger American audiences?
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of obstacle
Verb
  • Travelers who fail to present the statement at the time of boarding will not be permitted to board their flight, Avianca said.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • From a decades-old parade in Yuba City to a multimillion-dollar museum overhaul to Tahoe National Forest Christmas tree permits going on sale, here’s a closer look at top Sacramento Bee stories from over the weekend.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of permit
Verb
  • If the owner refuses to stop short-term leasing the unit after facing fines, the association may file a declaratory lawsuit seeking a court order to cease violations of the governing documents.
    — Howard Dakoff, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The new owner continued leasing the land under the park to Great America, with the term ending in mid-2028 and an option to extend through mid-2033.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of lease
Verb
  • The bottom line is that no aviation authority will ever ignore a bomb threat, Jeffries said.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Theories abound as to why Beijing has chosen to ignore the warnings.
    — Oliver Melton, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of ignore

Phrases Containing let

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lessors
let
let alone
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Cite this Entry

“Let.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/let. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on let

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about let

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