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
Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
McLaren did come away with a three-point gain on Mercedes — a small dent in the pre-weekend deficit of 89, a gap ballooned significantly by McLaren’s double DNS in China.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
However, some storms may become more severe earlier in the evening, bringing hail large enough to dent cars and siding.
—Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dent
Noun
In the context of Chicago’s arterial streets, wide boulevards and broad parkways, Desplaines doesn’t make much of a dent.
—Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
McLaren did come away with a three-point gain on Mercedes — a small dent in the pre-weekend deficit of 89, a gap ballooned significantly by McLaren’s double DNS in China.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Verb
The stock slumped as much as 10% in intraday trading Thursday after Arm reported weak quarterly royalty revenue, denting a rally that more than doubled the shares through Wednesday.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
However, some storms may become more severe earlier in the evening, bringing hail large enough to dent cars and siding.
—Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dent
Noun
-
The Hoosiers have climbed out of that hole thanks to Cignetti.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
Heading into this week, the Green Mile was the toughest-three hole stretch on the PGA Tour, with golfers averaging nearly a shot over par while splashing almost 2,000 balls into the water since 2003.—
Jordan Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
This is a significant decrease from more than 4 million acres of hazardous vegetation work completed during the last year of the Biden administration.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
7 May 2026
-
This marked a further decrease compared to Q2, during which revenues fell 3%.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Vogue,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Earlier that year, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a sweeping climate change bill with an ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030, 70% by 2040, and to achieve economy-wide net-zero levels by 2050.—
Krisztian Elcsics,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
Likewise, in building communities, there must be a priority on preserving green spaces, creating walkable neighborhoods to reduce traffic and car emissions, intentionally designating areas for wildlife habitats, and prioritizing quality of life through parks, trails, and conservation areas.—
Sammy Duda,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Keeping with the down-home vibe, there are fire pits, a vegetable garden, and a communal lodge hangout space.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
-
The council also wants to expand open-flame restrictions such as outdoor barbecuing and use of fire pits during red flag warnings.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
In a 2019 op-ed in The New York Times, Felix claimed that Nike offered her a 70 percent pay reduction during those negotiations.—
Tina Sturdevant,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
-
Last month, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel announced the reduction of about 1,000 roles at the company, 16% of its staff.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
The nests also serve as sort of warehouses for any additional materials the birds might need to shore up their original nests, and lastly, nesting boxes that appear occupied keep other cavity dwelling birds from moving into the wrens’ territory.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
-
Melanoma in his lung and liver cavity.—
Matt Baker,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Then, put your ballot into a mailbox or secure drop box, or deliver it to a voting center or county elections office.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Two aviation courses are expected to take place, including water drops, passenger loading, cargo handling and refining communications, according to a release.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
An earlier study, published in the American Economic Journal, found that field-office closures led to a sixteen-per-cent decline in disability recipients in the surrounding areas.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
The clues are all in his writing, the structure of the sentence, the tracking of it, the fast decline into being inebriated.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dent. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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