Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom. Make all the difference
2025
Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom.
Make all the difference
Answer: B. Influence someone or something in a positive way — Concept: An idiom is a fixed expression whose overall meaning differs from a literal, word-by-word reading, so it must be matched to its accepted dictionary…
- A.
Influence someone or something in a negative way
- B.
Influence someone or something in a positive way
- C.
Have a brief and concise summary
- D.
Have a well-mannered approach
Attempted by 9 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept: An idiom is a fixed expression whose overall meaning differs from a literal, word-by-word reading, so it must be matched to its accepted dictionary sense rather than parsed literally.
Application: Standard usage references (such as the Cambridge and Oxford learner's dictionaries) define the idiom "make all the difference" as producing an important, beneficial effect on a situation or outcome -- that is, to influence something for the better.
Cross-check: Comparing each offered meaning against this accepted sense:
"Influence someone or something in a negative way" describes the opposite polarity of effect and does not match the idiom's established positive sense.
"Have a brief and concise summary" describes conciseness, which is the sense of a different idiom (such as "in a nutshell"), not of "make all the difference".
"Have a well-mannered approach" describes conduct or etiquette, unrelated to producing an effect on an outcome.
Result: the idiom "make all the difference" therefore means to influence someone or something in a positive way.