let go

Meanings

1. 1phrasephrasal verb

   To stop holding something, so that it is free.

   Grammar: Often used with of, or with an object between let and go: let go of the rope; let the rope go.

   Patterns

   • let go of something
   • let something go
   • let go

   Do not let go of my hand in the crowd.

   She let go of the rope and fell into the water.

   He let the balloon go and watched it rise.

2. 2phrasephrasal verbfigurative

   To stop feeling a strong emotion, memory or attachment, so that it no longer controls you.

   Grammar: Usually followed by of: let go of the past.

   Patterns

   • let go of something
   • learn to let go

   It took her years to let go of her anger.

   You have to let go of the past before you can move on.

   Parents must learn to let go as their children grow up.

3. 3phrasephrasal verbeuphemistic

   To end someone's job, usually because the company needs to save money.

   Grammar: Takes an object, which comes between let and go: let someone go; often used in the passive, as in they were let go.

   Patterns

   • let someone go
   • be let go

   The company let fifty employees go last month.

   He was let go after the department closed.

   They had to let two staff go to cut costs.

Word forms

Common combinations

let go of

Please let go of the railing before the train starts.

let go of the past

He tried to let go of the past and start fresh.

be let go

Six workers were let go after the merger.

learn to let go

Learning to let go makes friendships easier.

let go of the rope

Never let go of the rope while climbing.

Synonyms and how they differ

release

Release is more formal and can mean freeing a prisoner or an animal, while let go is the everyday phrase for loosening your grip.

drop

Drop means to let something fall, often by accident, while let go means to open your hand on purpose.

dismiss

Dismiss is a direct word for ending someone's job, while let go is a softer, more polite phrase.

lay off

Lay off means ending jobs because of lack of work, not because of the person's performance, while let go can cover either reason.

Opposites

Word family

letting go noun

the act of releasing a feeling or grip

let verb

to allow something to happen

Commonly confused: let go or let off?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “let go”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words