dent
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dent up
To cause dents or dimples in something. I can't believe how much that runaway shopping cart dented up my car! Look, you kids have dented up the basement wall by shooting hockey pucks at it! It was an incredibly low-speed collision, so it didn't dent up either of our cars, thank goodness.
make a dent in (something)
To make noticeable progress in a task or to consume a noticeable amount of something of which there is a large quantity. I have a meeting in an hour, but before that I'm hoping to make a dent in this backlog of documents that need to be filed. I didn't think we had made enough potato salad for the party, but we barely made a dent in it—look how much we have left!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
dent something up
to mar or make depressions in something. I don't want to dent my car up. It's still new. He dented up my new bike!
make a dent in something
1. Lit. to make a depression in something. I kicked the side of the car and made a dent in it. Please don't make a dent in the side of the house.
2. Fig. to use only a little of something; to make a small amount of progress with something. Look at what's left on your plate! You hardly made a dent in your dinner. I've been slaving all day, and I have hardly made a dent in my work.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
make a dent in
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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
make a dent in something
COMMON If you make a dent in something, you reduce its amount or level. The savings from these cuts make only a small dent in the federal deficit. The average family in Britain spends £100 a week on food, which makes a big dent in the household budget. Note: You can also say that you put a dent in something. These devices can put a major dent in companies' IT budgets.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
make a ˈdent/ˈhole in something
(informal) reduce something: Having to pay out unexpectedly for car repairs made a big hole in my savings. ♢ The embarrassing stories about his past made quite a dent in his reputation.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017