How to Use let off in a Sentence

let off

verb
  • Henry doesn’t want to be let off the hook.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
  • The heaters hissed and clanked, let off steam, fogged up the windows.
    — Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
  • And some experts say the sisters should not be let off the hook.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 6 May 2026
  • Corpse flowers grow up to 9 feet tall and let off an intense smell when in bloom.
    — Wcco Staff, CBS News, 8 June 2026
  • Officers let off tear gas and pepper bombs.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Alabama’s offense didn’t let off the gas.
    — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
  • In some ways, Henry gets a redemption in the end, but he isn’t let off the hook.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2026
  • Buxton wasn’t the only Twin who let off some steam on Wednesday.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • Never letting off the throttle.
    — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 22 May 2026
  • Later, Austin lets off some steam by doing shoulder presses.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Martha asked to be let off the hook for the afternoon, and, since no one oversaw the parents, no one opposed this.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Like that dutiful mastiff, this Urus is happiest when let off the leash.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 17 June 2026
  • Others waved American flags and let off firework smoke bombs that painted the air red and blue.
    — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
  • For children, playtime isn’t just about letting off a little steam — or giving their parents and teachers a break.
    — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
  • Colts coach Shane Steichen was let off the hook for having his kicker try a 60-yard field goal that had no chance.
    — Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Wilks retreats to the front of his vehicle before briefly emerging and the officer then lets off a second round of gunfire.
    — Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Lincoln Creek runs along her backyard, which one neighbor said typically lies low but spread into houses and let off a stench.
    — Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • There was little jockeying among front-runners, as the first-place finisher took a commanding lead early on and never let off the gas.
    — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Across a two-hour practice featuring dozens upon dozens of plays, even the best players suffer a misstep, a mental lapse or let off the gas for a moment.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
  • For many 9-to-5ers, happy hours are a time when workers can grab affordable alcoholic drinks and let off steam with their co-workers or friends.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Which is fair, considering Reid’s prologue begins with and never really lets off the gas in that regard.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025
  • The Liberty players let off the gas pedal a bit after winning the first half 66-37.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
  • They were filled with young men letting off steam to his and BNYX’s songs, which aligned with their desire for escapist sounds to get lost in.
    — Miki Hellerbach, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
  • But there are other turkeys on Capitol Hill who do not deserve to be let off the hook, not by the president, and not by taxpayers.
    — Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
  • Hill was let off with probation and some community service, while Mudaugh’s guilty verdict was preserved.
    — James Lasdun, New Yorker, 26 May 2026
  • Messi was let off completely, and there is nothing reckless about Balogun’s actions either.
    — Tom Bogert, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • Some drivers are let off with warnings, while others receive tickets after dangerous or reckless behavior behind the wheel.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
  • In September, a driverless taxi was caught on video illegally passing a school bus as children were being let off in Georgia.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 28 Nov. 2025
  • The shooter let off more than 24 rounds of ammunition into the home before driving away in the SUV, according to officials.
    — Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025
  • In postwar Communist Poland, under the auspices of the Ministry of Art and Culture, designers were pretty much let off the leash.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'let off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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