make/put a dent
idiom
: to decrease something slightly or to make something somewhat weaker
We tried our best to fix the problem, but nothing we did seems to have made a dent.
—often + inIt's going to take more than a new law to make a dent in the city's drug crime.
a vacation that won't put too big a dent in your wallet
Examples of make/put a dent in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Those local counterterrorism forces trained by the United States and France put a dent in terrorist activity, using intelligence gleaned from MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drones flying from the sprawling air base in Agadez, in the country’s north.
—
Ruth MacLean, New York Times, 7 June 2024
Why have landmark agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris accord failed to make a dent in emission trends?
—William Nordhaus, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2020
For five years the Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention program (HHAP) has funneled about $4 million to counties, cities and continuum of care organizations in the state to make a dent into its burgeoning homeless population.
—Vik Jolly, Sacramento Bee, 24 May 2024
Trump’s campaign thinks the former president can make a dent in Biden's support among Black and Hispanic voters, especially younger males who may be frustrated with economic conditions – especially inflation – and who are attracted to Trump's bravado.
—Fox News Staff, Fox News, 23 May 2024
This kind of thing did not, and cannot, make a dent in Trump.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 13 May 2024
Immigration policy analysts say the rule would hardly put a dent on the number of migrants crossing illegally, or the underlying factors for mass migration.
—Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 10 May 2024
But the chaos put a dent in their plans for training and recovery ahead of Wednesday’s game.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 5 May 2024
More affordable models driven partly by falling battery prices could encourage more drivers to make a switch and could even help make a dent in the Biden Administration’s goal of having 50 percent of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 1 May 2024
Ruth MacLean, New York Times, 7 June 2024
Why have landmark agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris accord failed to make a dent in emission trends?
—William Nordhaus, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2020
For five years the Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention program (HHAP) has funneled about $4 million to counties, cities and continuum of care organizations in the state to make a dent into its burgeoning homeless population.
—Vik Jolly, Sacramento Bee, 24 May 2024
Trump’s campaign thinks the former president can make a dent in Biden's support among Black and Hispanic voters, especially younger males who may be frustrated with economic conditions – especially inflation – and who are attracted to Trump's bravado.
—Fox News Staff, Fox News, 23 May 2024
This kind of thing did not, and cannot, make a dent in Trump.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 13 May 2024
Immigration policy analysts say the rule would hardly put a dent on the number of migrants crossing illegally, or the underlying factors for mass migration.
—Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 10 May 2024
But the chaos put a dent in their plans for training and recovery ahead of Wednesday’s game.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 5 May 2024
More affordable models driven partly by falling battery prices could encourage more drivers to make a switch and could even help make a dent in the Biden Administration’s goal of having 50 percent of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 1 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'make/put a 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 make/put a dent
Cite this Entry
“Make/put a dent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%2Fput%20a%20dent. Accessed 15 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share