Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom.

Let off the hook

Allowed to escape from blame

The most appropriate meaning of the idiom "let off the hook" is allowed to escape from blame.

The idiom comes from the image of a fish that has been caught on a hook and then released. In this sense, it means to be freed from a difficult or unpleasant situation.

In modern usage, the idiom "let off the hook" is often used to describe someone who is not punished for wrongdoing. It can also be used to describe someone who is not held responsible for something that they have done.