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
Mind you, this governor and Legislature have yet to make a dent in any of the state’s pressing homegrown problems: a sprawling homelessness problem, crime wave, housing unaffordability, fleeing businesses.
—
Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 15 Nov. 2024
Job numbers take a hit after hurricanes and workers' strike
The effects of hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as an ongoing Boeing workers’ strike, are expected to make a dent in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest jobs update.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024
Nearly all of Meta’s revenue comes from advertising on its platforms, so a slight shortfall in user numbers also put a dent in an otherwise strong quarter.
—Barbara Ortutay, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Key Background Third-party candidates have almost no shot at winning the election, considering the funding and popularity required to make a dent in the electoral and popular vote.
—Stephen Pastis, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 15 Nov. 2024
Job numbers take a hit after hurricanes and workers' strike
The effects of hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as an ongoing Boeing workers’ strike, are expected to make a dent in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest jobs update.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024
Nearly all of Meta’s revenue comes from advertising on its platforms, so a slight shortfall in user numbers also put a dent in an otherwise strong quarter.
—Barbara Ortutay, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Key Background Third-party candidates have almost no shot at winning the election, considering the funding and popularity required to make a dent in the electoral and popular vote.
—Stephen Pastis, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for make/put a dent
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Cite this Entry
“Make/put a dent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%2Fput%20a%20dent. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
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