👐 To release 💼 To fire 😌 To relax

to let go

∞ 1.4

To stop holding something or someone so they are free

phrasal verb
/lɛt ɡoʊ/

: soltar

Just let him go.

And then all you have to do is gently let go by squeezing it.

Autoplay Next

Examples

I then emptied the dirt into the hole and let go of the pail.

Fiction book (1990)
After a couple of false starts, Jacob lets go and Gabe is riding by himself.

Fiction book (1990)
That person, you have to let them go and just keep it moving.
After we walked a few steps, she let go of my hand and returned to the car.

Fiction book (1990)
Let go of my arm, man.

The Place Beyond the Pines (2013)
Let her go and I'll stay with you forever.

Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023)
And then all you have to do is gently let go by squeezing it.

Adam Savage’s Tested
Let me go home.

Gladiator (2000)
Sealock stared into her face, his eyes like mirror pools, then he let her go and said, "No."

Fiction book (1990)
She decided to let go of his hand and let him explore the park by himself.

Synonyms

to release

vsto let go

∞ 1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

is more narrowly about ending a hand grasp rather than freeing confinement

to let go of

vsto let go

356 1.9

To stop holding something so it is not in your hand

is a broader act meaning to free by removing a hand hold

to disengage

vsto let go

82 5.3

To stop being part of or connected to something

is a simpler physical ending of a hand hold rather than mechanical separation

to relinquish

vsto let go

Formal

69 7.2

To give up control, a right, or something you own

is a physical act of ending a hold, not a formal surrender of rights

to unhand

vsto let go

Literature

18 8.6

Let go of someone or something you are holding

is the general act of freeing by ending physical hand contact

to cut loose

vsto let go

Informal

18 4.4

To have fun and act without control, or to remove someone from their job

is mainly a physical ending of a hand hold, not freeing from duties

to let loose

vsto let go

13 3.8

Set something free from being held or controlled

is usually the plain act of letting go without force or drama

to untether

vsto let go

1 6.2

To free someone or something from limits so they can act more freely

is about ending a hand grasp rather than detaching fixed connections

to unloose

vsto let go

Archaic

1 7.0

To make something less tight or set something free

is mainly about stopping physical hand contact rather than loosening fittings

to cast loose

vsto let go

1 6.7

To free something by letting go of ties or limits

is chiefly the act of ending a hand hold rather than untying bonds

to unloose grip

vsto let go

6.7

Let go of something you are holding, physically or emotionally

focuses on fully freeing rather than only loosening a hold

Antonyms

to retain

60 3.0

To hold something inside so it does not escape

How Tight

to clench

70 3.5

to hold

∞ 1.0

to loosen

88 1.0

to let go

∞ 1.4

Surface Forms

let go infinitive

let went past

let gone past participle

letting go present participle

lets go third person singular

Morphology

let + go

The literal combination 'let' (allow) + 'go' (leave) yields 'allow someone to leave,' so a B1 learner might infer a sense of releasing or permitting departure. However, the specific conventionalized employment meaning 'to dismiss/fire someone' is a metaphorical extension and not fully predictable from the constituents without prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Let go comes from the simple image of opening your hand so something or someone falls away. To let something go is to stop holding it, so it can move free.