make/put a dent
idiom
: to decrease something slightly or to make something somewhat weaker
We tried our best to fix the problem, but nothing we did seems to have made a dent.
—often + inIt's going to take more than a new law to make a dent in the city's drug crime.
a vacation that won't put too big a dent in your wallet
Examples of make/put a dent in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Thus, minimum payments don’t make a dent in your loan’s principal.
—
Christine Benz, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
Many are graduating into jobs that don’t pay enough to keep up with the cost of living, let alone make a dent in student loans.
—Nandan Sheth, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
McLaren's other driver, Lando Norris, couldn't make a dent on Red Bull's race, either.
—ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
The question now is, could the union’s commercials contracts, if ratified, make a dent on future negotiations?
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for make/put a dent
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Christine Benz, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
Many are graduating into jobs that don’t pay enough to keep up with the cost of living, let alone make a dent in student loans.
—Nandan Sheth, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
McLaren's other driver, Lando Norris, couldn't make a dent on Red Bull's race, either.
—ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
The question now is, could the union’s commercials contracts, if ratified, make a dent on future negotiations?
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for make/put a dent
Cite this Entry
“Make/put a dent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%2Fput%20a%20dent. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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