1
as in to permit
to give permission for or to approve of
flash photography is not allowed inside the church
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to let
to give permission to
a boarding school that does not allow students to go on weekend trips without written permission
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to tolerate
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to admit
to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly
I'll allow I probably said more than I should have
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to allot
to give as a share or portion
allowed each camper one match to light his fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to enable
to make able or possible
a patient's canceled appointment allowed the doctor to squeeze in a few extra phone calls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to reflect
to make a statement of one's opinion
he allowed that their new house looked very nice
Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in to think
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in to intend
chiefly Southern & Midland
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
I allow to go hunting before the season is over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of allow
Do not allow someone else to manipulate your feelings.
—
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Culpepper allowed four hits in his two innings of work, including a ninth-inning homer to spoil the shutout, while striking out four to secure the lopsided victory.
—Staff Report, Twin Cities, 29 May 2026
Anonymous quantitative research allows organizations to truly understand the behaviors teams actually need to perform better and be more innovative, more productive and happier at work.
—Gwen Mdinaradze, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
The court customarily holds on to decisions for a month after they are reached to allow time for the losing side to request another hearing.
Voters who won the case wanted the transfer to happen without the waiting period to grant more time for new maps to be drawn.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 5 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for allow
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Culpepper allowed four hits in his two innings of work, including a ninth-inning homer to spoil the shutout, while striking out four to secure the lopsided victory.
—Staff Report, Twin Cities, 29 May 2026
Anonymous quantitative research allows organizations to truly understand the behaviors teams actually need to perform better and be more innovative, more productive and happier at work.
—Gwen Mdinaradze, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
The court customarily holds on to decisions for a month after they are reached to allow time for the losing side to request another hearing.
Voters who won the case wanted the transfer to happen without the waiting period to grant more time for new maps to be drawn.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 5 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for allow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allow
Verb
-
The opening salvo of the assault is intended to distract the Russians and permit four other robots to get behind enemy lines.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Basically, no matter how soap-y the show gets, Akerman permits the audience to buy into and sincerely enjoy the Hunting Wives ridiculousness.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
All buttons can be pushed and levers pulled, so feel free the let the kids roam around at will.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
-
Don’t let a little shade keep you from growing veggies; just be sure to pick the right ones.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The work of observing, tolerating and, at times, surrendering control to see what exists beneath it.—
Sonia Singh,
Rolling Stone,
26 May 2026
-
In the shadow of the war to end all wars, people desperately hoped that the human race would never again tolerate such fevered violence, and Esperanto grew hand in hand with the pacifist movement.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Bill Cunningham of Chicago, the state senator leading stadium negotiations, late last week admitted Johnson’s recent involvement had stalled progress.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Even Russian President Vladimir Putin has admitted that the economy contracted early this year, while think tanks, bankers, and officials close to the Kremlin have been warning for months that a financial crisis is on the horizon.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Kraft Sports + Entertainment COO Jim Nolan said the stadium will be able to add to the 5,000 parking spaces currently allotted for World Cup attendees, and also noted that independent lots along Route 1 will account for another 5,000 spots.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
-
Landry is asking for an additional $82 million for next year’s corrections budget — 11% more than currently allotted.—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
This decade also saw the acceleration of cloud connectivity, enabling web domain expansion and the expansive datafication necessary to train more powerful AI systems.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
In southern Somalia, AFRICOM, also in close coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, has conducted airstrikes to enable partner forces’ ability to degrade al Shabaab.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
This lack of confidence and social anxiety is reflected by some of the books on Marilyn’s shelves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
Cruz also praised the film’s production team for supporting her throughout the experience and reflected on how the ordeal connected to the movie’s themes.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The chances of 3-star Mississippi tackle DJ Dotson choosing UGA are higher than most think.—
Jeff Sentell,
AJC.com,
29 May 2026
-
My daughter calls me a creative engineer, someone who spends her life creatively thinking about ways to provide live experiences that offer joy and beauty, or maybe more importantly, that challenge us to see things differently.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Allow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allow. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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