allow
Usage
What are other ways to say allow?
Allow and permit are often interchangeable as terms that imply granting or conceding the right of someone to do something, but permit is the more positive of the two. Allow implies complete absence of an attempt, or even an intent, to hinder. Permit suggests formal or implied assent or authorization. Let is the familiar, conversational term for both allow and permit.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Last month, Barclay and Cagne asked the Court of Appeal to allow them to challenge the ruling, claiming that the judge was wrong.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
If the technique can be refined for large-scale manufacturing, it could allow producers to place costly carbide only where it is needed.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
Not in the wholehearted country-song sense, where crossing the county line might allow me to outrun myself.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
Much of the growth has been fueled by dual-enrollment programs, which allow high-school students to earn college credits directly.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
The square was shady, surrounded by trees and small, brightly painted cafés, but Nighthand would not pause to allow Gelifen to eat the scraps left on the tables.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
The financing is long-term so allows for flexibility, and there is still ample access to capital markets.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
This allows the union to engage in “sectoral bargaining,” through which it can negotiate standards across the entire industry, not only at individual companies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
“The warrant allows us to lawfully access the property and verify compliance with County codes,” the department said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The findings reveal a biological mechanism that allows muscle stem cells to retain their regenerative abilities.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026
Actually, it’s far, far worse than that because AT maps—for reasons that bewilder me beyond speculation—provide less detail than even their meager scale allows.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
The 1996 regulations also allowed a person’s gender to be considered in setting auto premiums, but former Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones eliminated it as an optional ratings factor in 2019.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
"It would be freedom of movement," he added, when asked whether Iran would be allowed to charge for ships passing through.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Firefighters in Greece gained ground Tuesday against a wildfire burning for a fifth day on the outskirts of Athens, as easing winds allowed water-bombing aircraft back into the skies in force.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
The swift recovery allowed the company to quickly terminate third-party legal and accounting support, often a significant part of the costs, according to Goetter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
This pleased him very much because only on special occasions was he allowed in the house.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
It also helps that the characters are drawn with precision and nuance, allowing the actors to shape their performances with assurance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Mark said it was a "loads better" idea allowing uniform to be checked in advance.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
The fossil also preserves features on Urokodia's legs that may have served as book gills, allowing the animal to breathe underwater.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
The regulation allowing marital status to be considered has been around since 1996, when then-California Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush included it in regulations implementing Proposition 103.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
When he looked at me it was as though my skull was the same clear glass as the window, allowing him to see all my thoughts swirling around inside my head.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Vocabulary lists containing allow
Beowulf vocabulary
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"The Sporting Spirit"
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Workshop 3, Part 2
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