let 1 of 2

1
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

let

2 of 2

noun

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

Examples 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
June let the water balloon fall into the gutter and put her arm around Gabriel. Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024 All the chaos let Zhou Guanyu score his and Sauber’s first points of the season, crossing the line in P8. Sam Joseph, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024 The legendary musician will let audiences further into his world when the intimate new documentary–Elton John: Never Too Late–arrives at Disney+ on 13 December. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 2 Dec. 2024 Check out our picks below, and let the holiday shopping unfurl. Annie Blackman, Allure, 2 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for let 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for let
Verb
  • Those negotiations helped improve logistics, allowing the United States to increase deportation flights to countries in the Western Hemisphere, as well as to places, including China, that previously refused to accept their citizens.
    Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
  • Large only needs 9GB, allowing the model to run on much less powerful hardware.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The homes, whose construction complied with European Union's masonry standards, are set to be used as social housing and will be rented to people with low income or those who can't afford their own accommodation.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
  • But our default [for accommodations] is to first try to rent a home.
    DeMarco Williams, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Automated and enabled by AI, criminal hackers will continue to extort victims at a startling rate in 2025.
    Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
  • That shift is enabled by Sam, who really does see her, and—better—sees someone worth knowing.
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Then, sometime in her mid-40s, her ability to tolerate alcohol plummeted.
    Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
  • These blatant violations will not be tolerated on U.S. soil.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Here are steps that can help ensure a smooth integration process, addressing potential obstacles and strategies to overcome them: 1.
    Brian Moroney, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Another political obstacle: The fossil-fuel industry has turned natural gas into a culture-war issue by bombarding Americans with the message that woke liberals are coming to take away their gas stoves and gas drilling jobs.
    Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • What’s the power of a home that doesn’t need permitting?
    Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
  • To learn more about the Christmas tree permit program and purchase a permit, visit recreation.gov/tree-permits.
    Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Buckingham was asked where the idea for purchasing and leasing the land came from, since her commission doesn’t typically work with immigration matters.
    Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2024
  • The units would be leased by the bedroom, not by the unit, and renters would share the common space, such as the living room and kitchen.
    Corina Vanek, Arizona Republic, 3 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • An important social context to Rickey can’t be ignored.
    Marcus Thompson II, The Athletic, 25 Dec. 2024
  • But should investors really be ignoring small caps in 2025?
    Bret Kenwell, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near let

Cite this Entry

“Let.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/let. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on let

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!