make sense
idiom
1
: to have a clear meaning : to be easy to understand
We read the recommendations and thought they made (perfect) sense.
The instructions don't make any sense (at all).
The instructions make no sense (at all).
You're not making much sense (to me).
2
: to be reasonable
It makes sense to leave early to avoid traffic.
It makes little/no sense to continue.
Why would he do such an awful thing? It makes no sense (to me).
Examples of make sense in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If those questions are answered well, waiting can make sense.
—
Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
With tariff uncertainty and confusion continuing to escalate, companies have turned increasingly to trade lawyers to make sense of their roles and responsibilities under the new trade policies.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Cooney and her husband couldn’t get the numbers to make sense.
—Keith Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
And for what seems like, well, the 23rd time for Texas (14-9, 5-5 SEC), coach Sean Miller tried to make sense of how his defense keeps getting torched by someone else’s backcourt.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for make sense
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Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
With tariff uncertainty and confusion continuing to escalate, companies have turned increasingly to trade lawyers to make sense of their roles and responsibilities under the new trade policies.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Cooney and her husband couldn’t get the numbers to make sense.
—Keith Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
And for what seems like, well, the 23rd time for Texas (14-9, 5-5 SEC), coach Sean Miller tried to make sense of how his defense keeps getting torched by someone else’s backcourt.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for make sense
Cite this Entry
“Make sense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20sense. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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