How to Use a certain in a Sentence

a certain

phrase
  • Making new friends isn’t something that has to stop at a certain point in your life.
    — Joy Harden Bradford, AJC.com, 2 July 2026
  • There does not appear to be a sense of urgency to get something done by a certain date.
    — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • And, if the fence is damaged, does the owner need to fix it within a certain timeframe?
    — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2026
  • The meeting where energy drops when a certain person walks in.
    — David Salerno, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • So if a certain pop idol were to choose this island, at this moment, for her vows, could anywhere be more fitting?
    — ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • The choice to promote was obvious because that person had been showing up a certain way for a while.
    — Somdutta Singh, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Leaving spent flowers in place lends a more relaxed or cottage garden feel to the space, which has a certain appeal.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 28 June 2026
  • At a certain level of writing, you may be visited by prophecy, as happened there.
    — Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • And some insurance plans may only pay directly to providers in a certain network.
    — Liz Knueven, CNBC, 29 June 2026
  • Our relationship represents a certain amount of hope and risk.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026
  • As a big consumer of movies, Dunn sees a certain sameness to the storytelling that has set it and needs a big shakeup.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 29 June 2026
  • There’s always a certain thrill in these rare moments, reminders that even the smartest show on television isn’t always right.
    — Louis Peitzman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 June 2026
  • To an outsider, the scene may spark a certain Schadenfreude, like an army of tiny barbarians sacking Rome.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • Today, standard tickets are often priced higher because the venue must meet a certain revenue target.
    — Joseph M. Singer, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026
  • Given those reactions, Murawski is a bit shocked to see that the movie has entered the mainstream to a certain degree.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
  • But Braithwaite’s wry, wonderful novel paints a world where violent men are dealt with…sometimes by a certain sister.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 July 2026
  • Great productions of Sondheim musicals, and this is one of those, always fill you with a certain existential dread.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
  • There is a certain kind of football fan who want to express their support but also avoid being obvious about it, those who wear it in a ‘Please ask me about my shirt’ way.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 28 June 2026
  • Plenty of plants need a reprieve from summer afternoon heat and humidity but still require a certain number of hours of full sun for healthy growth and flowering.
    — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 29 June 2026
  • The shoes featured several buckles, and material along the side of the upper which conferred a certain futuristic vibe.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 30 June 2026
  • Field offices around the country are being instructed to dedicate a certain number of personnel, depending on their size.
    — Luke Barr, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • More than a language, Webster gave American writers a certain belief in their capacities for language.
    — Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
  • Not Using Enough Blood Blood glucose meters require a certain amount of blood in order to determine your reading.
    — Karen Berger, Verywell Health, 30 June 2026
  • And in a place where celebrity passersby and visiting monarchs typically get the same collective shrug, a certain exuberance appeared.
    — ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Mixed fortunes in front of goal A cursory check on the Golden Boot race shows a certain Lionel Messi leading the pack with six goals.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 28 June 2026
  • Players must abide by rules concerning on-court conduct Just as ticket holders are to uphold a certain level of etiquette during matches, the players are expected to do the same.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
  • Organizations may stop funding employee development after a certain age or career stage.
    — Sheila Callaham, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The primary goal of the minor leagues has never been winning, but without a certain level of competition, many people believe the gap between the highest affiliate and the big leagues has become a chasm.
    — Brittany Ghiroli, New York Times, 1 July 2026
  • Jared Grindlinger, a pitcher and outfielder from Huntington Beach, is 17 and a certain first-round draft pick after reclassifying to be taken next month.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • Political scientists argue that women of color's votes are taken as reliable and therefore, in a certain political calculus, taken for granted.
    — Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a certain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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