make certain

phrase

: to do something or find out something so that one has no doubt about whether something is true, correct, will happen, etc.
Make certain (that) you lock the door when you leave.
We must make certain this doesn't happen again.
She made certain she thanked each of them for coming.

Examples of make certain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Yes, your brain might go to angular guitars, but to lay claim to that genre, all a band really needs to do is make certain their music is not simply punk. — Brendan Hay, SPIN, 12 Oct. 2026 Researchers wanted to understand whether inflammation in people with IBD could interfere with that work — and make certain foods more likely to cause problems. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 7 Oct. 2026 If nothing else, the galleries of the Lucas Museum appear designed specifically to make certain critics and connoisseurs roar. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Louvelle makes a point of vetting everything at every stage, specifically to make certain that any party involved in any transaction can do so with trust and faith. — Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for make certain

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Cite this Entry

“Make certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20certain. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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