make sure
Idioms-
Make certain, establish something without doubt, as in Make sure all the doors are locked . It is also put as make sure of , as in Before you make that speech, make sure of your facts . This usage was first recorded in 1565.
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make sure of . Act so as to be certain of something, as in He wanted to make sure of his own district before seeking support elsewhere . This usage was first recorded in 1673.
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.
“That’s one of the things I’m going to make sure I do, is encourage him.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
“We’re doing everything we can to make sure we can do right by them and the work they committed,” LIV chief executive Scott O’Neil said of the Fresh Tape lawsuit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
"We've all become such good friends, we go for coffee together sometimes afterwards and support each other, we'll ring each other to make sure we are all here."
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
I’d also make sure there was a corporate trustee or a truly trusted friend involved, because I wouldn’t trust my daughter to manage a large inheritance herself.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
‘Ten o’clock it starts. The room will fill up over the next half an hour. These are the early birds who want to make sure they get a good seat!’
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
