9 Phrasal Verbs with LET in English (Meanings and Examples)

Hello English learners! In this lesson, we are going to look at some common phrasal verbs with let and see how they are used in real sentences.

Phrasal verbs are one of the most important parts of everyday English. They appear constantly in conversation, films, books, and news reports, and they often have meanings that are not obvious at first sight. Sometimes you can guess the meaning from the context, but sometimes a phrasal verb can leave you scratching your head.

The phrasal verbs we will cover are:

let down, let in, let yourself in for, let in on, let into, let off, let on, let out, let up

Let’s take a closer look at them.

Let down

Meaning 1: to disappoint someone by failing to help or support them

If someone lets you down, they disappoint you because they do not do what you expected or needed them to do.

Examples:

• She found it hard to trust people because she had been badly let down in the past.
• I felt I had let down my parents when I dropped out of university.
• My old car has never let me down.

Meaning 2: to lower something

Let down can also mean to move something to a lower position.

Examples:

• Could you let down the blinds, please? The sun is in my eyes.
• The workers carefully let down the bucket into the well.

Let in

Meaning: to allow someone or something to enter

If you let someone in, you allow them to come inside. We can also use it for air, light, sound, and so on.

Examples:

• The usher let the audience in just before the film started.
• They kept the door locked and refused to let anyone in.
• Open the window and let some fresh air in.

Let yourself in for

Meaning: to get involved in something unpleasant, difficult, or troublesome

If you let yourself in for something, you put yourself in a situation that is likely to cause difficulty.

Examples:

• When Lorna signed the contract, she had no idea what she was letting herself in for.
• Don’t agree to something before you know exactly what you are letting yourself in for.
• Mary spent days wondering whether she really wanted to let herself in for such a demanding project.

Let in on

Meaning: to tell someone about a secret or private piece of information

If you let someone in on something, you allow them to know something that other people do not know.

Examples:

• Martin never lets anyone in on his private affairs.
• I’ll let you in on a little secret, but you must promise not to tell anyone.
• Only a few people were let in on the company’s plans.

Let into

Meaning: to allow someone or something to enter a place

Let into is similar to let in, but it is followed by the place itself.

Examples:

• They let us into the concert hall without checking our tickets.
• Sara let the new clients into the office as soon as she returned from lunch.
• The engineers slowly let water into the tank.

A quick note: when we talk about sharing a secret, let someone in on is much more common than let someone into a secret.

Let off

Meaning 1: to avoid punishing someone fully

If someone is let off, they are not punished, or they receive only a light punishment.

Examples:

• The boys who had broken the window were let off with a warning.
• Even though she had broken several rules, the manager let Stella off lightly.
• Instead of going to prison, he was let off with a fine.

Meaning 2: to excuse someone from something

It can also mean to allow someone not to do something they were expected to do.

Examples:

• They let us off work early because of the carnival.
• The teacher let us off homework for the day.
• Could you let me off washing up tonight? I’ve got a terrible headache.

Let on

Meaning: to reveal or mention something, especially a secret

If you let on, you tell someone something that was meant to stay hidden.

Examples:

• Please don’t let on that I saw Jason yesterday.
• You must promise not to let on about what we discussed.
• He knows far more than he lets on.

That last pattern is especially common:

He knows more than he lets on = he knows more than he shows.

Let out

Meaning 1: to allow someone or something to leave

If you let someone out, you allow them to go outside or leave a place.

Examples:

• As soon as he got home, John let the dog out into the garden.
• Can you let the cat out, please? It’s scratching at the door.

Meaning 2: to make a sound, such as a cry, laugh, or scream

Let out can also mean to produce a sudden sound or emotion.

Examples:

• When he heard the news, Peter let out a loud scream.
• She let out a sigh of relief when the exam was over.

Meaning 3: to rent a room, house, or other property

In British English, let out is also used to mean rent out.

Examples:

• They decided to let out their spare room to a student.
• The cottage is let out during the summer months.

Let up

Meaning: to become less strong, less severe, or to stop

If something such as rain, pressure, or effort lets up, it becomes weaker or eases.

Examples:

• It rained heavily all day and showed no sign of letting up.
• The pain finally let up after a few hours.
• The police refused to let up, even when the crowd began to leave.

Final thoughts

As you can see, phrasal verbs with let are extremely useful and appear in many everyday situations. Some describe disappointment (let down), some describe allowing entry (let in, let into), and others deal with secrets (let in on, let on) or changing intensity (let up).

The best way to learn phrasal verbs is not to memorise long lists mechanically, but to notice them in context and practise using them in your own sentences. A little regular practice goes a long way — not flashy, perhaps, but wonderfully effective.