let off
phrasal verb
let off; letting off; lets off
1
: to allow (someone) to get off a bus, an airplane, etc.
Could you let me off (the bus) at the next stop, please?
The bus stopped to let off a few passengers.
2
: to allow (someone who has been caught doing something wrong or illegal) to go without being punished
The police officer let her off with just a warning.
They let him off easy/easily/lightly, if you ask me.
3
: to cause (something) to explode or to be released in a forceful way
let off a firecracker
opened the valve to let off pressure
Examples of let off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With the hypnotic smell of a moonlit forest gathering, Gypsy Water lets off notes of pine needles, juniper berries, incense, and sandalwood.
—
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
The momentum hasn’t let off in 2024 with a record-breaking 14 million overnight stays through the first six months of the year, up 1.1 million over the same period the year prior.
—Michael Loré, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
As heavy snow winds down Saturday, the storm will let off into the north and northeast and into the upper Plains, Homan said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2024
The French bulldog, who is based in the U.K., was captured standing in his garden nonchalantly as his neighbors let off a series of fireworks to mark Guy Fawkes Night.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for let off 
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.
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
The momentum hasn’t let off in 2024 with a record-breaking 14 million overnight stays through the first six months of the year, up 1.1 million over the same period the year prior.
—Michael Loré, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
As heavy snow winds down Saturday, the storm will let off into the north and northeast and into the upper Plains, Homan said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2024
The French bulldog, who is based in the U.K., was captured standing in his garden nonchalantly as his neighbors let off a series of fireworks to mark Guy Fawkes Night.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for let off
Dictionary Entries Near let off
Cite this Entry
“Let off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/let%20off. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share