1
as in hole
a sunken area forming a separate space
there was a big dent in the car's hood where something had hit it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened
a little belt-tightening would at least make a small dent in our credit-card debt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to reduce
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
hopefully this vacation won't dent our bank account too much
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dent
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
This first emerged in Canada, where ongoing grassroots and lawmaker-led boycotts have made a notable dent in some American companies' bottom lines.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Sarah Min, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
But those increases have failed to significantly dent oil prices, which are trading near $66 a barrel supported by Western sanctions on Russia and Iran, encouraging further production gains in rivals such as the United States.
—Robert Ilich, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dent
Noun
Fill in any deeper scratches or dents with a wax wood repair kit to match.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
This first emerged in Canada, where ongoing grassroots and lawmaker-led boycotts have made a notable dent in some American companies' bottom lines.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
That could dent the gains in one of this year’s notable stock market leaders.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
But those increases have failed to significantly dent oil prices, which are trading near $66 a barrel supported by Western sanctions on Russia and Iran, encouraging further production gains in rivals such as the United States.
—Robert Ilich, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dent
Noun
-
On the 18th hole of the final match, Nicklaus sank his par putt and then conceded Tony Jacklin’s short par putt, ensuring both the match and the Ryder Cup ended in a tie.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
My only shot was through a hole the size of a business card between some limbs.—
Jack Atcheson Sr. as told to Michael Hanback,
Outdoor Life,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The first monthly jobs report released since McEntarfer’s ousting, the June jobs report, which initially reported a gain of 147,000 jobs, has now been revised downward to just 14,000 jobs in the July revision and now an absolute decrease of 13,000 jobs in the August revision.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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This results in a 67% optimization in rack space, a 66% reduction in power consumption, 58% annual OpEx savings, and a 69% decrease in initial investment costs.—
Thomas Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
His team accused Whatley of distorting the facts to cover for his support of federal policies that reduced funding for local police.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Valentino has been streamlining its wholesale channel, reduced by about 20 percent in 2024, a strategy that continued in 2025 and that is expected to impact its year-end performance.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Firefighters are working to extinguish hotspots, burning tree stumps, and hot ash pits to ensure there is no threat to containment lines.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
As part of the agreement, Carlyle branding will be featured on the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 challenger and across key team assets, including the car chassis, drivers’ team kit, pit wall and garage environment.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The reduction of labor costs via automation, efficiency gains, and increasing digital goods and services would all serve to push prices down.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The survey data reveals that 60% of employees believe their leaders lack empathy during layoffs, while 54% don't trust leadership to handle workforce reductions fairly.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Thanks to modern anesthesia and advances in dental care, root canals are usually no more uncomfortable than having a cavity filled.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Since February 2021, NASA's Perseverance rover has been exploring a region on Mars known as Jezero Crater, a huge cavity believed to have once hosted a lake.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
According to Champo, apply three to four drops onto the fingertips and massage where needed.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The most severe drop was in press freedom when compared with five years ago, but the indicator for the credibility of elections was at its lowest in 30 years.—
Matthew Tostevin
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Chinese authorities said that headline CPI had slipped into negative territory largely due to the high-base last year and lower food prices, while crediting the narrower decline in producer prices in part to Beijing's efforts in regulating the excessive price competition.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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Apple—which topped the World’s Best Companies list in 2024—is notably absent this year due to a decline in revenue from 2022 to 2024, which many Wall Street analysts have postulated could be due to the company falling behind on AI.—
Charlotte Hu,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dent. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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