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
This time, there were three years and $69 million still out there when everyone elected to make certain that Ramírez retired in northeast Ohio.
—
Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Oreo worked with Todd Nauck, a popular Marvel artist, to make certain the depictions of the characters on the cookies were realistic.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
This cornbread is tender thanks to buttermilk and melted butter—just make certain to buy cornmeal that is certified as gluten-free.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
These additions can make certain pretzel products closer to a dessert than a simple snack.
—Brianna Tobritzhofer, Health, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for make certain
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Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Oreo worked with Todd Nauck, a popular Marvel artist, to make certain the depictions of the characters on the cookies were realistic.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
This cornbread is tender thanks to buttermilk and melted butter—just make certain to buy cornmeal that is certified as gluten-free.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
These additions can make certain pretzel products closer to a dessert than a simple snack.
—Brianna Tobritzhofer, Health, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for make certain
Cite this Entry
“Make certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20certain. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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