make a difference

phrase

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

Where hair type does make a difference is in choosing and applying the formula. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026

But combining new technologies with communities of survivors and others who care can make a difference. — Ashoka, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Like the people who are working on COVID—the doctors and nurses and everyone trying to make a difference, sacrificing their own bodies and souls and their own children and families. — Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026

This will make a difference in AI processing and in pretty much every other modern, demanding workflow. — Tom Brant, PC Magazine, 27 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for make a difference

• indifference