1
: a depression or hollow made by a blow or by pressure
2
: an appreciable impression or effect often made against resistance
hasn't made a dent in the problem
specifically
: a weakening or lessening effect
costs that have made a dent in the budget
Synonyms
Examples of dent in a Sentence
Verb
I'm afraid I dented the wall pretty badly when I was hammering in that nail.
Many of the cans were badly dented.
Some types of metal dent more easily than others.
The team's confidence has been dented by a recent series of losses.
Recent Examples on the Web
Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024
Image Still, the falling-out hasn’t dented Mr. Peltz’s friendship with Mr. Perlmutter.
—Lauren Hirsch, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024
The glasses need a specific filter and can't be scratched or dented.
—Binghui Huang, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Mar. 2024
Trump’s criminal cases don’t appear to have dented his support among the Republican base.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 2 Mar. 2024
One such statue, which depicts Confederate President Jefferson Davis, is on display at a local history museum dented and covered in graffiti, the same condition as when it was toppled.
—Roberto Roldan, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024
So far, those legal travails haven't dented the former president's political support.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2024
Having burst onto the boxing scene with a 22-fight unbeaten streak, a defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. and two to Usyk have dented his reputation as a serious title contender.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
Profits at L'Oreal and Shiseido have also been dented due to weak consumer spending and greater local competition.
—Gemma A. Williams, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
An infrastructure law passed by Congress with bipartisan support and signed by President Biden in 2021 is making a dent in that deficit, but key transportation projects are still beset by financial challenges.
—Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Known for its chunky insoles, even President Joe Biden was photographed earlier this week striding out of the White House in a new set of Hoka sneakers — far from a Gen Z-endorsement, but a sign that a once virtually unknown brand is making a dent in sales and visibility.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
Filters must be free of defects including scratches, bubbles, and dents.
—USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
But, if history is any guide, there don't appear to be enough Republican-leaning independent voters in Super Tuesday states for Haley to make a real dent.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 2 Mar. 2024
The wheels, each weighing 750 pounds, are inspected for cracks, dents and abnormal wear.
—David Waldstein, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
David Zaslav came to market Friday morning with a fourth-quarter earnings report that delivered enviable free cash flow and put another sizable dent in Warner Bros.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Feb. 2024
But with the fight for civil rights in full bloom, Dr. Massey took a faculty offer at Urbana-Champaign, drawn by the prospect of making a dent in theoretical condensed matter — the university was a leading center for research — and making a difference in the lives of Black students.
—Katrina Miller, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024
Verb
The path immediately ahead may appear rocky, but Deutsche Bank expects that the airline will see strong business in the second and third quarters, even if the first quarter’s performance is dented by factors like the strikes.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024
Image Still, the falling-out hasn’t dented Mr. Peltz’s friendship with Mr. Perlmutter.
—Lauren Hirsch, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024
The glasses need a specific filter and can't be scratched or dented.
—Binghui Huang, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Mar. 2024
Trump’s criminal cases don’t appear to have dented his support among the Republican base.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 2 Mar. 2024
One such statue, which depicts Confederate President Jefferson Davis, is on display at a local history museum dented and covered in graffiti, the same condition as when it was toppled.
—Roberto Roldan, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024
So far, those legal travails haven't dented the former president's political support.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2024
Having burst onto the boxing scene with a 22-fight unbeaten streak, a defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. and two to Usyk have dented his reputation as a serious title contender.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
Profits at L'Oreal and Shiseido have also been dented due to weak consumer spending and greater local competition.
—Gemma A. Williams, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
Noun
In terms of salary, her WNBA paycheck will barely make a dent in her net wealth: First-year WNBA players earn around $76,000 a year.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
An infrastructure law passed by Congress with bipartisan support and signed by President Biden in 2021 is making a dent in that deficit, but key transportation projects are still beset by financial challenges.
—Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Known for its chunky insoles, even President Joe Biden was photographed earlier this week striding out of the White House in a new set of Hoka sneakers — far from a Gen Z-endorsement, but a sign that a once virtually unknown brand is making a dent in sales and visibility.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
Filters must be free of defects including scratches, bubbles, and dents.
—USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
But, if history is any guide, there don't appear to be enough Republican-leaning independent voters in Super Tuesday states for Haley to make a real dent.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 2 Mar. 2024
The wheels, each weighing 750 pounds, are inspected for cracks, dents and abnormal wear.
—David Waldstein, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
David Zaslav came to market Friday morning with a fourth-quarter earnings report that delivered enviable free cash flow and put another sizable dent in Warner Bros.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Feb. 2024
But with the fight for civil rights in full bloom, Dr. Massey took a faculty offer at Urbana-Champaign, drawn by the prospect of making a dent in theoretical condensed matter — the university was a leading center for research — and making a difference in the lives of Black students.
—Katrina Miller, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dent
Cite this Entry
“Dent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dent. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dent
1 of 2 verb1
: to make a dent in or on
2
: to become marked by a dent
dent
2 of 2 noun1
: a notch or hollow made by a blow or by pressure
2
a
: an impression or effect made usually against resistance
that purchase made a big dent in our savings
b
: noticeable progress
made a dent in our pile of work
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