let go

1. let it go . Allow it to stand or be accepted. For example, Let it go; we needn't discuss it further . This usage is sometimes amplified to let it go at that , meaning “allow matters to stand as they are.” [Late 1800s]

2. Cease to employ, dismiss, as in They had to let 20 workers go .

3. Also, let oneself go . Behave without restraint, abandon one's inhibitions; also, neglect one's personal hygiene and appearance. For example, When the music began, Jean let herself go and started a wild dance , or After her husband's death she let herself go, forgetting to bathe and staying in her nightgown all day . The first sense dates from the late 1800s, the second from the early 1900s.

4. Allow to escape, set free, as in The police decided to let him go . [c. 1300]

5. Also, let go of . Release one's hold on, as in Please let go of my sleeve , or Once he starts on this subject, he never lets go . [Early 1400s]

Example Sentences

I want to recall what’s been washed away by the pull of adulthood, what age and responsibility demand that we compromise, that we let go of.

From Los Angeles Times

The La Cañada Flintridge research institution will let go of approximately 325 employees across the organization on Wednesday, or roughly 5% of its total staff, the memo stated.

From Los Angeles Times

As a result, they were let go.

From Los Angeles Times

Berry seems to appreciate that while expressing his readiness to let go of “Shadows” and his vampire while both remain dear to us.

From Salon

As the newly appointed No. 2 quarterback, Maiava tried to let go of what he couldn’t control and “fall in love with the process,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

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