make a dent in

make a dent in something (British, American & Australian, American)

to reduce the amount or level of something. The roof repairs made quite a dent in our savings. Police efforts have hardly put a dent in the level of drug trafficking on the streets. (often negative)

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make a dent in something

to have an effect on something. All the talk about kids eating too much sugar hasn't seemed to make a dent in the candy business.

Usage notes: sometimes used without in: Technology cannot fix education — no amount of technology will make a dent.