# let someone go

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/let-someone-go
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To dismiss someone from an employment position or a relationship.

## Examples

- The company had to let him go last week.
- After the business lost its biggest client, the manager had to let several employees go to save money.
- Following months of declining revenue and difficult restructuring, the board decided to let the long-serving director go, marking the end of an era for the firm.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.