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.

Still, the payments didn’t appear to make a dent in her loan balance, she said.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 19, 2025

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

The cash drain, though, has started to make a dent in those companies’ balance sheets, offering a preview of a potentially more drastic reshaping of their respective businesses if AI expenditures keep growing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025

In the north and centre of the country where the army has wrestled back territory from the RSF, food and medical aid have begun to make a dent in civilian suffering.

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025

Admittedly, fifty thousand would hardly make a dent in the tuition, but maybe I could get a scholarship.

From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green

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