make a dent in

Idioms

Begin to accomplish or consume something, as in I've barely made a dent in this pile of correspondence, or Help us put a dent in this pie. This metaphoric expression alludes to striking a blow to make a physical indentation in something.

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.

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make a dent in

Murphy’s fellow representative, Democrat Zac Ista, told ProPublica he hadn’t been able to make a dent in this legislature.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026

In other words, eliminating all of this overspending, even if that were possible, wouldn’t make a dent in total spending.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 29, 2026

The 30-year-old's desire to make a dent in the head-to-head was evident in a spirited second-set display but he was ultimately unable to match Zverev once the German raised his level.

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026

CAR-T treatments have been a cancer breakthrough, and are beginning to make a dent in aut0-immune disorders like lupus and multiple sclerosis.

From Barron's ● Dec. 9, 2025

Nico wished he still had the sceptre of Diocletian, but he doubted a legion of dead warriors would make a dent in this army.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023