DENTS Synonyms: 177 Similar and Opposite Words

dents 1 of 2

noun

plural of dent

as in holes

a sunken area forming a separate space there was a big dent in the car's hood where something had hit it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in reductions

the amount by which something is lessened a little belt-tightening would at least make a small dent in our credit-card debt

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dents

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of dent

as in reduces

to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent hopefully this vacation won't dent our bank account too much

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dents

Noun

Tracks Check that the tracks on both sides of the door are properly aligned and free of dents or debris. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2026 Regularly inspect your spatulas for any sign of wear, including loose components, cracks, scratches or dents. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 There was a closet full of phones people had thrown at the wall and dents in the drywall nobody ever explained. — Jeff Rabhan, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026 Bruce’s densified dogwood flooring uses a natural hardening process with heat and pressure to improve resistance to dents and everyday wear. — Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026 Will four of those dots always form the corners of a four-sided shape with no dents or crossed sides? — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2026 The dings and dents this season had Schwarber, 33, rethinking that last month. — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Look Look for a firm watermelon that is free from bruises, cuts or dents. — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado july 15, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026 Cars have destroyed one-third of the roughly 70 planters the city installed back in 2020 and marred the survivors with chips, scratches and dents. — Charlotte Observer, 15 July 2026

Verb

The shaky outing continued Sasaki’s post-breakthrough slide, but the setback barely dents the Dodgers’ commanding division cushion, with San Diego still eight games back in the standings. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026 No quantity of houses or yachts dents it. — Douglas P. McCormick, Fortune, 23 June 2026 What happened next haunts the dreams, dents the bravura of every New Yorker. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 June 2026 The growth further dents the case for an interest rate cut, as US monetary policymakers discuss possibly raising the cost of borrowing. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 2 June 2026 Which is harder — landing a human on the moon or hitting a home run that dents the top of a foul pole in a major-league game? — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 8 May 2026 The Lakers, like the Celtics, are tenants in their arena, which dents their ability to drive revenue from concerts and other events. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2025 Whether this latest controversy dents MrBeast's online empire or prompts wider scrutiny of influencer accountability remains to be seen. — Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025 For example, if a falling tree branch breaks your windshield or hail dents your car, comprehensive coverage can pay for repairs. — Brandi D. Addison, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dents

Noun

McIlroy surged into the top-10 on Saturday with a 7-under 63, powered by nine birdies, including three in his final four holes.

— Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
The golf course would be transformed from its original layout of three courses with 36 holes to a single 18-hole championship course, per the outlet.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of holes

Noun

Investigators reported a dose-dependent drop in biomarker levels on certain measures, meaning higher doses led to greater reductions, a sign the drug is having an effect.

— Andrew Joseph, STAT, 29 Aug. 2026
Dignity Health did not directly address questions about staffing reductions Friday.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of reductions

Noun

At the southern end of the Everglades, where marshes and coastal wetlands are most starved for freshwater, peat has started to collapse, ripping open the shallow sawgrass marshes to leave behind deeper pits of open water.

— Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Then again, there’s a chance that dynamic pits Austin and Berrios against each other for one spot, and then Beckham’s true competition is narrowed to Slayton and Mooney.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of pits

Noun

Some early studies are showing that people using AI chatbots designed with cognitive behavior therapy principles experienced decreases in symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to psychologists.

— Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
But the summer months have also thrown into sharp relief the unequal way in which those decreases in violence have shown up across the city.

— Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of decreases

Noun

To test this approach, the team first built miniature boats, each equipped with three cavities tuned to different frequencies.

— Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
In its complaint, the real-estate firm points out that Urban Zen’s own lawsuit from June, alleging that rats are nesting in the cavities and holes of its Federal-style building from 1828, is evidence against them.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of cavities

Noun

To find out, the team released 35-microliter water drops, about the size of a large raindrop, containing a pinch of salt to mimic rainwater, onto a surface tilted at 50 degrees.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Although the press picks up on the drops, there are adds as well.

— Jeff Marks, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of drops

Noun

Some have indentations meant to gather rainwater, and some have multiple points of entry and egress, all of which the rats apparently appreciate.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Like the experimental teeth, the ones from Neanderthal archaeological sites had the same overlapping small fractures, shallow indentations, and shallow scratches.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 June 2026