make a dent in

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

The Amazon and UPS job reductions, as large as they seem, would barely make a dent in jobless claims.

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Amazon, for instance, also reduced its workforce by 27,000 employees in 2022 — but those layoffs didn’t make a dent in weekly jobless claims.

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Illumina systems dominate gene sequencing in research labs and the clinic, so Roche will need to show impressive speed, accuracy and economics for its new products to make a dent in Illumina’s $4 billion in annual sales.

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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.

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"I'd say up to 2,000 tickets per game at Chelsea are touted. If you make a dent in that then that frees up tickets for young members."

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