make sense
Idioms-
Be understandable. This usage, first recorded in 1686, is often used in a negative context, as in This explanation doesn't make sense .
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Be reasonable, wise, or practical, as in It makes sense to find out first how many will attend the conference . This term employs sense in the meaning of “what is reasonable,” a usage dating from 1600. In Britain it is also put as stand to sense .
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.
"It doesn't make sense that this is actually happening," he said.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
SpaceX has a uniquely huge IPO; we finally have a deal with Iran, and “tobacco-bonds” no longer make sense.
From Slate • Jun. 20, 2026
"This idea helps make sense of many results that previously seemed unrelated," Julian said.
From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2026
The stakes are high for investors trying to make sense of the numbers, as well as for passive index investors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026
I think I’m finally beginning to make sense of what’s happening at the Park—like the flow of information and the chain of command.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
