make sense
idiom
1
: to have a clear meaning : to be easy to understand
We read the recommendations and thought they made (perfect) sense.
The instructions don't make any sense (at all).
The instructions make no sense (at all).
You're not making much sense (to me).
2
: to be reasonable
It makes sense to leave early to avoid traffic.
It makes little/no sense to continue.
Why would he do such an awful thing? It makes no sense (to me).
Examples of make sense in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But Megan’s actions and even the first half of her scene with Adam don’t make sense without that guilt.
—
Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2023
Some cloud platforms offer different ways to secure your account—get to know them and use the ones that make sense for you.
—Sandra Gutierrez G., Popular Science, 21 Sep. 2023
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman struggled to make sense of how a joyous event could turn grim so quickly.
—Antonio Planas, NBC News, 21 Sep. 2023
And in the second act, the twists in the plot become convoluted and its denouement doesn’t entirely make sense to me.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2023
Even years beyond the age at which their experiences paralleled with Rodrigo’s, many fans are only now gaining the musical vocabulary and soundtrack to describe and make sense of that time however many years later.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2023
Police have not released a motive in the shooting, and those who know Jones have struggled to make sense of what happened.
—Justin Jouvenal, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Sep. 2023
Shaken by the brutal killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012—a scene which is recreated with care and sensitivity in the film’s opening minutes—Wilkerson wonders how to make sense of it and considers writing an op-ed, before setting the idea aside.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2023
However, patients must wade through a deluge of information online, deal with side effects, and make sense of which medication best suits their individual needs.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 28 Aug. 2023
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Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2023
Some cloud platforms offer different ways to secure your account—get to know them and use the ones that make sense for you.
—Sandra Gutierrez G., Popular Science, 21 Sep. 2023
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman struggled to make sense of how a joyous event could turn grim so quickly.
—Antonio Planas, NBC News, 21 Sep. 2023
And in the second act, the twists in the plot become convoluted and its denouement doesn’t entirely make sense to me.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2023
Even years beyond the age at which their experiences paralleled with Rodrigo’s, many fans are only now gaining the musical vocabulary and soundtrack to describe and make sense of that time however many years later.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2023
Police have not released a motive in the shooting, and those who know Jones have struggled to make sense of what happened.
—Justin Jouvenal, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Sep. 2023
Shaken by the brutal killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012—a scene which is recreated with care and sensitivity in the film’s opening minutes—Wilkerson wonders how to make sense of it and considers writing an op-ed, before setting the idea aside.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2023
However, patients must wade through a deluge of information online, deal with side effects, and make sense of which medication best suits their individual needs.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 28 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'make sense.' 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 sense
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“Make sense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20sense. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
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Nglish: Translation of make sense for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of make sense for Arabic Speakers
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