1
as in hole
a sunken area forming a separate space
there was a big dent in the car's hood where something had hit it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened
a little belt-tightening would at least make a small dent in our credit-card debt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to reduce
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
hopefully this vacation won't dent our bank account too much
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dent
Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026
So being able to make a dent in those can be beneficial for recent grads.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025
Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 30 Dec. 2025
For this reason, always inspect cans before use and discard any that are leaking, bulging, or badly dented.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dent
Noun
Panamanian President Manuel Noriega was prosecuted and imprisoned by the United States for drug trafficking without making a dent in drug abuse deaths.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026
So being able to make a dent in those can be beneficial for recent grads.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025
Verb
Shoes track in all kinds of dirt and bacteria and some shoes, such as stiletto heels, can even dent the floors.
—Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 30 Dec. 2025
For this reason, always inspect cans before use and discard any that are leaking, bulging, or badly dented.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dent
Noun
-
His absence left yet another hole in the quartet featuring him, Ball, Knueppel and Bridges.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Plunging directly in the frigid lake via holes carved in the ice.—
Julia Sayers Gokhale,
Midwest Living,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Johnson, who has been in office since May 2023, said homicides were down 30% last year and there was also a 34% decrease in drug overdoses.—
Tony Dokoupil,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
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The agency, which patrols unincorporated areas of the county, investigated 18 homicide deaths in 2025 after ending the previous year with 37 homicides — a 54% decrease.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
During his January 2025 State of the State address, Little called for tax cuts that could reduce the state’s general fund by about $100 million.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
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To reduce sizes, builders are going back to open floor plans with fewer hallways.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Burn pits were a common method to dispose of waste up until around 2010, according to the VA.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
12 Jan. 2026
-
There was seating around a fire pit.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The company strips out nonessential systems and designs each component around mass reduction.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
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On Wednesday, city leaders said the strategy has driven the recent crime reduction.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Still, fatality rates are rising for some common cancers, including breast, prostate, oral cavity and pancreatic cancers.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Rather than activating the olfactory nerve, the system stimulates the trigeminal nerve, a sensory pathway in the nasal cavity responsible for conveying touch, temperature, and irritation.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Ottawa was in Denver to play Kelly and the Avalanche last week when, shortly before puck drop, the club released a statement from general manager Steve Staios condemning rumors that were spreading like wildfire across the internet about his team.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
16 Jan. 2026
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To remove rust, sprinkle a bit of Bar Keepers Friend or baking soda over the affected area, add a drop of water to create a paste, and gently scrub with a soft sponge.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The report describes a kind of doom loop of AI dependence, where students increasingly off-load their own thinking onto the technology, leading to the kind of cognitive decline or atrophy more commonly associated with aging brains.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
14 Jan. 2026
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The 11 citations represents a sharp decline from just months earlier.—
Mathew Miranda
January 14,
Sacbee.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dent. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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