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.
Giving parents money to stay home, on its face, would seem to make sense.
From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026
All the emotions won't make sense until I get back home with the kids and then it'll be like: 'OK, I am actually still alive and living my life.'
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
And if you want to be able to make changes to your living space over time and you plan to stay in the same location long term, buying can make sense.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
“I’ve had real conversations with clients where it’s like, ‘Hey, I know you like this area, but it may make sense for you to move,’” Grant said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
I was still staring at the floor, trying to make sense of what was going on in the kitchen, when I heard my mother blow her nose.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
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.
