Make sense of something

Pro Tip 1/3

Look around the phrase for hints that explain or give meaning to the confusing part.

The ancient text was hard to read, but I made sense of the message using context clues.

Pro Tip 2/3

Use 'make sense of' when you're still figuring something out, not when you've already understood it.

Despite the unclear instructions, I'm trying to make sense of how to assemble this desk.

Pro Tip 3/3

Sometimes 'make sense of' can imply an emotional struggle to understand something upsetting.

After the tragedy, the community struggled to make sense of the events.