let off

let off idiom
  1. Release by exploding; see blow off steam.
  2. Allow to go free or escape; excuse from punishment. For example, They let her off from attending graduation, or The headmaster let him off with a reprimand. [Early 1800s] Also see off the hook.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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