make a difference
idiom
1
: to cause a change : to be important in some way
Cost can make a difference in deciding on a college.
Your help made a big difference.
It may not matter to you, but it makes a world of difference to me.
2
: to do something that is important : to do something that helps people or makes the world a better place
She says that she got into politics because she wanted to make a difference.
Examples of make a difference in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The team will find out if Wilson can help make a difference in two weeks, as the Cowboys have a bye this week.
—
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Even the smallest diversions seem to make a difference, a testament to the monkeys’ loneliness and privation.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
State gun laws also make a difference, says Webster.
—NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
Even the simplest of habits can make a difference.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for make a difference
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Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Even the smallest diversions seem to make a difference, a testament to the monkeys’ loneliness and privation.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
State gun laws also make a difference, says Webster.
—NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
Even the simplest of habits can make a difference.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for make a difference
Cite this Entry
“Make a difference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20a%20difference. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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