make sense
Idioms-
Be understandable. This usage, first recorded in 1686, is often used in a negative context, as in This explanation doesn't make sense .
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Be reasonable, wise, or practical, as in It makes sense to find out first how many will attend the conference . This term employs sense in the meaning of “what is reasonable,” a usage dating from 1600. In Britain it is also put as stand to sense .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Annuities may make sense for workers at jobs that are very stable and unlikely to result in small balances that need to be ported across employers.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026
Since taking office, Newsom has argued that it doesn’t make sense for savings to count as spending under state law.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026
"It doesn't make sense that this is actually happening," he said.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
Schlossberg characterized himself and his campaign as “women-run and women-owned,” which objectively does not make sense but does inspire a kind of “OK, I guess” resignation toward light stupidity.
From Slate • Jun. 18, 2026
Instead, I’ve spent days poring through Willa’s small book, trying to make sense of her entries and the odd papers tucked inside.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
