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
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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
Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Sustained tariffs at this rate could dent India's growing appeal as an alternative manufacturing hub to China for goods such as smartphones and electronics.
—David Lawder, USA Today, 27 Aug. 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
Starship — the world’s largest and most powerful rocket — had seen several prior efforts end unsuccessfully, which also dented SpaceX boss Elon Musk’s ambitions to eventually use it for reusable transport to Mars.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Sustained tariffs at this rate could dent India's growing appeal as an alternative manufacturing hub to China for goods such as smartphones and electronics.
—David Lawder, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dent
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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More David Cannon/Getty Images The Walker Cup pits teams comprised of the top 10 male amateur players from the United States and Great Britain and Ireland against each other.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
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Trimeresurus nujiang, also known as the Nujiang green pit-viper, is a new arboreal, or tree-dwelling, snake species known only from the high-altitude evergreen forests that border the canyon in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, according to the study.—
Lauren Liebhaber
September 2,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While sustainable aviation fuels and electric aircraft will play larger roles in long-term decarbonization, immediate weight reduction offers airlines tangible benefits today.—
Karl Moore,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The scale of the revision announced on Tuesday exceeds a downward reduction in hiring estimates last year that has drawn criticism from Trump in recent weeks.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Schumann Resonance Time Acceleration Schumann resonances are natural, low-frequency electromagnetic hums that form in the cavity between Earth’s surface and the ionosphere (50-600 miles above the surface).—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
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In addition to maintaining good oral hygiene habits at home, such as brushing and flossing, experts recommend tactics like drinking plenty of water, limiting snacks and sugary foods, and quitting smoking to help prevent cavities.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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According to Champo, apply three to four drops onto the fingertips and massage where needed.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
12 Sep. 2025
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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
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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 14 Sep. 2025.
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