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.
Regulatory developments have played a part in recent weeks but investors are also struggling to make sense of cryptos’ role in a landscape of mounting risks—is it a haven or not?
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
But these contracts only make sense if you need to squeeze the most income out of your savings, and for those in that situation, full “control” over their money is largely illusory.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
Tack on another 15-20 minutes to get to your desk, and the motivation for nabbing a closer spot starts to make sense.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
It all started to make sense to the housed neighbors.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
She still hadn't been able to make sense of what happened.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
