make certain
idiom
: to do something or find out something so that one has no doubt about whether something is true, correct, will happen, etc.
Make certain (that) you lock the door when you leave.
We must make certain this doesn't happen again.
She made certain she thanked each of them for coming.
Examples of make certain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In July 2022, the initiative established a joint coordination center between the parties and the UN to administer the safe passage of food shipments in and out of the Black Sea; the center directly supervised shipments to make certain that the initiative was not abused for military operations.
—
Zach Helder, Foreign Affairs, 22 Mar. 2024
The city would agree to make certain reforms and allow the monitor to determine the department's compliance.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 31 Jan. 2024
Lawmakers want to reach into Arizona school classrooms with bills that would dictate curriculum, make certain immunizations optional and scrap letter grades used to rank schools' performance.
—Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 17 Mar. 2024
More dangerously, the technical obstacles raised by the growing legal Balkanization of AI regulation may make certain global solutions, such as the establishment of an intergovernmental panel on AI, impossible.
—Aziz Huq, Foreign Affairs, 11 Mar. 2024
Congress should make certain that there is adequate funding for infrastructure such as highways and water resources in the North Texas area.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024
Scalding water and fragile ground can make certain areas in Yellowstone dangerous or even deadly, so the rules about where visitors can go are pretty serious — according to the Associated Press, trespassers have previously faced jail time, fines, and park bans.
—Vulture, 19 Jan. 2024
While this can make certain activities, such as taking out a loan for a home or a car a bit more cumbersome, the benefits of locking things down in this way, Milstein said, can pay off big, especially for kids.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Dec. 2023
Details like shimmering texture or sporty aesthetic can help make certain boots bolder than others—though there’s nothing wrong with a staple set.
—Calin Van Paris, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024
Zach Helder, Foreign Affairs, 22 Mar. 2024
The city would agree to make certain reforms and allow the monitor to determine the department's compliance.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 31 Jan. 2024
Lawmakers want to reach into Arizona school classrooms with bills that would dictate curriculum, make certain immunizations optional and scrap letter grades used to rank schools' performance.
—Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 17 Mar. 2024
More dangerously, the technical obstacles raised by the growing legal Balkanization of AI regulation may make certain global solutions, such as the establishment of an intergovernmental panel on AI, impossible.
—Aziz Huq, Foreign Affairs, 11 Mar. 2024
Congress should make certain that there is adequate funding for infrastructure such as highways and water resources in the North Texas area.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024
Scalding water and fragile ground can make certain areas in Yellowstone dangerous or even deadly, so the rules about where visitors can go are pretty serious — according to the Associated Press, trespassers have previously faced jail time, fines, and park bans.
—Vulture, 19 Jan. 2024
While this can make certain activities, such as taking out a loan for a home or a car a bit more cumbersome, the benefits of locking things down in this way, Milstein said, can pay off big, especially for kids.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Dec. 2023
Details like shimmering texture or sporty aesthetic can help make certain boots bolder than others—though there’s nothing wrong with a staple set.
—Calin Van Paris, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'make certain.' 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 certain
Cite this Entry
“Make certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20certain. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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