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Glite Dictionary
to let it slide

to let it slide

38 5.9
To ignore a small mistake to avoid an argument
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : hacer la vista gorda
  • We're willing to let it slide if you promise to keep your kids under control.
  • let things slide
  • just let it slide
  • going to let it slide

No, Maybe one time he might let it slide, but constantly no.

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Examples

  • I noted the conversation in my journal and let the matter slide.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • If it's not a big deal, we can just let it slide and move on.

  • I think we can let it slide this once.

    Long Lost Son (2006)

  • We're just gonna let it slide?

    Richard Jewell (2019)

  • Would you let it slide?

    All Square (2018)

  • We'll let it slide this time.

    Baby Bulldog (2020)

  • OK, all right, I'll let it slide on this one.

  • But seeing as we're business partners, I think I'll let it slide.

    Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead (2009)

  • I have a few items I'm strict about and others I'll let slide a bit.

    Blog text (18)

  • Mom, I don't even know where you got that, but you're having a rough night, so I'm going to let it slide.

    Love the Coopers (2015)

Synonyms

to ignore
vsto let it slide
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

is a specific act of overlooking minor faults to keep peace
to let it go
vsto let it slide
370 3.5

To choose not to react to something annoying

is a deliberate overlook to avoid confrontation about small faults
to overlook
vsto let it slide
243 2.9

To not notice someone or something you should see

is an intentional act of overlooking meant to avoid confrontation
to look the other way
vsto let it slide
69 4.7

To ignore something wrong on purpose instead of reporting it

is a conscious overlooking aimed at avoiding direct confrontation about faults
to turn a blind eye
vsto let it slide
41 5.4

Choose to ignore something wrong

is a choice to tolerate minor faults mainly to prevent disputes
to pass over
vsto let it slide
28 4.1

To ignore someone or something on purpose

is accepting minor problems rather than purposely excluding people or items
to shrug off
vsto let it slide
27 3.9

Treat something as unimportant and ignore it

is actively overlooking a fault to avoid dealing with it directly
to brush off
vsto let it slide
  • Informal
22 3.9

To ignore what someone says or feels as unimportant

focuses on quietly accepting small mistakes to prevent confrontation
to gloss over
vsto let it slide
22 6.5

Make a problem or mistake seem less serious by leaving out details

is more about quietly overlooking faults instead of downplaying them openly
to brush aside
vsto let it slide
13 4.5

Ignore a person or thing because you think they are not important

is more about forgiving small faults to avoid arguments rather than dismissing
to pretend not to notice
vsto let it slide
5 5.6

To act as if you do not see something to avoid making someone feel embarrassed

is a deliberate tolerance meant to prevent conflict over minor issues
to sweep aside
vsto let it slide
3 4.7

To ignore an opinion or worry as unimportant

is a tolerant overlooking focused on small mistakes rather than ideas
to sidestep the issue
vsto let it slide
1 6.0

To avoid answering a difficult question by changing the subject

is choosing to accept small faults quietly rather than changing the subject
to push under the carpet
vsto let it slide
  • UK
7.3

To ignore or hide problems instead of dealing with them

is a milder tolerance of small faults, not active concealment
to frig it
vsto let it slide
  • Informal
9.9

To decide not to worry about something and let it go

is a deliberate, often polite overlooking of minor faults to prevent conflict

Antonyms

to address
∞ 3.6

To deal with a subject in speech or writing

to confront
310 4.1

Face someone directly in an angry or challenging way to accuse them

How Forgiving

to reconcile
38 5.1
to forgive
∞ 1.4
to let it slide
  • Informal
38 5.9

Surface Forms

let it slide infinitive
let it slid past
let it slid past participle
letting it slide present participle
lets it slide third person singular

Morphology

let + it + slide

The phrase pairs 'let' (allow) with 'it' and 'slide' (move past), creating a clear metaphor of allowing something to pass by unnoticed, so the sense of overlooking or ignoring can be inferred from the parts. However, this is a metaphorical extension rather than strictly compositional and is somewhat context-dependent, so a B1 learner might guess it but the exact pragmatic use (deliberately ignoring to avoid confrontation) is not fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

The phrase let it slide comes from the image of a small problem like a dropped object that you choose to let it slide past you instead of stopping it. So, the saying means 'to ignore' or 'overlook' a fault to avoid trouble or argument.