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
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.
Noun (1)
there was a big dent in the car's hood where something had hit it
a little belt-tightening would at least make a small dent in our credit-card debt
Recent Examples on the Web
Sara Salinas, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
The shift from Apple had a secondary, perhaps psychological, effect: denting China's ability to produce the most popular consumer product in the world, and shifting that production to its biggest rival in the East.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
Compared to the Stanleys, my older girls experienced dents in their Owalas almost immediately.
—Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dent
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Verb
The index ultimately ended the day about 349 points, or 0.9%, lower as President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies dented stocks for a third day.
—Sara Salinas, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
The shift from Apple had a secondary, perhaps psychological, effect: denting China's ability to produce the most popular consumer product in the world, and shifting that production to its biggest rival in the East.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
Eliminating it isn’t going to make a dent in America’s $2 trillion deficit.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
Compared to the Stanleys, my older girls experienced dents in their Owalas almost immediately.
—Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dent
Cite this Entry
“Dent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dent. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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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