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make a dent in

Idioms  

  1. 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.

"We just didn't have the strength to make a dent in them."

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

Cerebras, founded about a decade ago, has struggled in recent years to make a dent in the semiconductor market.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 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

You have enough to make a dent in your bucket list, and still leave behind a substantial financial legacy for your son and favorite charities.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 16, 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

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.