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单词 make
释义

Definition of make in English:

make

verbmade meɪkmeɪk
[with object]

  • 1Form (something) by putting parts together or combining substances; create.

    my grandmother made a dress for me
    cricket bats are made of willow
    Example sentencesExamples
    • The West Indian sauce is made from the exceedingly hot scotch bonnet pepper.
    • The remaining aircraft will be brought back into service as new hubs are made.
    • The roof is made of high quality fabric, and when tucked away, folds into three layers on top of one another.
    • A silage heap surrounded by the bales also caught fire and a fire break was made using a mechanical digger.
    • At the moment he is only using what he can make from domestically available materials.
    • The propeller is made of extruded, glass-filled nylon and is the usual propeller shape.
    • The pommel by and large defines the date of the sword and the site where it was most likely to have been made.
    • He was making something out of a piece of scrap wood.
    • The body is made of millions of cells, most of them linked together to form tissues.
    • You should see the size of the chandeliers here, they must have been made specially.
    • He followed this by sitting down and making a besom - a brush made from birch twigs.
    • His famous vacuum cleaner is made from clear plastic, allowing the owner to see all of the working parts.
    • Fleece is made from polyester and is designed to feel soft, warm and elastic.
    • A lab that annually makes or uses 100g or more of these chemicals must declare them.
    • To celebrate their last day youngsters made their own decorated hats to wear for the occasion.
    • To begin to understand how any wine is made we must first look at the composition of the grape.
    • His house was made of mud and had been almost wiped out, but his fence was perfect.
    • We take our water and mix it with malted barley or grain to make a drink called whisky.
    • All the great white wines are made from Chardonnay, all the great reds from Pinot Noir.
    • The joke, of course, is that the toothbrush is made out of even harder plastic than the packaging.
    Synonyms
    construct, build, assemble, put together, manufacture, produce, fabricate, create, form, fashion, model, mould, shape, forge, bring into existence
    1. 1.1make something into Alter something so that it forms (something else)
      buffalo's milk can be made into cheese
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Glass is sent to the British Glass Recycling Company in Alloa, where it is made into new bottles and jars.
      • Today, oil is pumped from underground oil-filled rock and sent to a refinery where it is made into gasoline.
      • He admits that the theatre production has precipitated a renewed interest in making the complex story into a film.
      • With his vision, Schumacher made a straightforward story into one of the best psychological thrillers in some time.
      • Harling admits he is excited at the challenge of making the classic show into a film.
      • All the raw materials go to the liver and the liver makes use of those and makes them into proteins.
      • It is highly recyclable and is gathered and sold to mainland markets where it is made into new boxes.
      • Now the famous story has been made into a film for television, which is being shown on ITV this month.
      • By refusing to accept conventional boundaries, this film makes the ordinary into something wonderful.
      • Now, when Jesus made the water into wine at the wedding, that's a story.
      • Jane Austen and William Shakespeare are the two that come to mind immediately, as their works have been made into mostly excellent films.
      • The Danes are allowed a quota of over a million tonnes of fish a year to be made into fish meal.
      • We would like the public to see how the milk is produced, what different things it can be made into.
      • If you took all the trees in the world and made them into boxes of matches how many boxes would you have?
      • Elephant grass is commonly used in a cut-and-carry system, feeding it in stalls, or it is made into silage.
      • It's not often that a Los Angeles film company phones to ask if they can make your novel into a film.
      • She and her sister ironed the photos onto squares of fabric and made them into a quilt for their mother.
      • During the second step the plant uses the nitrogen compounds and makes them into protein.
      • It essentially takes a series of complex operations and makes them into a single command.
      • The collected herbs were sent to drug companies, which made them into botanic drugs.
      Synonyms
      formulate, draw up, write, frame, draft, form, enact, pass, lay down, establish, institute, found, originate
    2. 1.2 Compose or draw up (something written or abstract)
      make a list of all the points you can think of
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He has made many recordings as a trumpet soloist; this is my first encounter with him as a conductor.
      • He also plays electronic music and writes and makes his own short films.
      • This film has been made by the guy who gave us The Lawnmower Man and Rush Hour.
      • The chosen man was instructed to make a will and briefed on how he would die.
      • Just about every tenor has made recordings similar to these, and there's no reason why Domingo shouldn't follow the pack.
      • The film will be made in conjunction with the website Moving South and the Hayward Gallery.
      • Having found this new shorter format so captivating I set about making my own short film.
      • Congress, under the Constitution, is the body that makes laws and regulations governing the armed forces.
      • Before talking to the family, make a list of the points you want to discuss.
      • The international cooperation needed to make such a film must be unprecedented.
      • She made a list of supplies and groceries and stared at the balance in her checkbook.
      • The issue of making a Constitution that will stand the test of time is neither here nor there.
      • Videos were made of their activities and circulated to members.
      • The film is expected to be released by next year and is being made by Titan films.
      • Although I've made a will, it didn't even occur to me at the time to leave anything to charity.
      • What would be great is if everybody pooled their images and made a new book.
      • She had to pose for photographs and drawings were made from the pictures.
      • Will they make a CD of those songs from the show?
      • I was helping a friend work on a video she was making, a very abstract adaptation of that play.
      • It is reported that the couple want to make a Hollywood film of their story.
      Synonyms
      formulate, draw up, write, frame, draft, form, enact, pass, lay down, establish, institute, found, originate
    3. 1.3 Prepare (a dish, drink, or meal)
      she was making lunch for Lucy and Francis
      with two objects I'll make us both a cup of tea
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The new café has expanded on its old range with more meals made to order and Mediterranean platters.
      • Fear not, I have a quick and simple meal that you can make that they'll think you bought!
      • This dark, spicy, autumnal dish can be made two or three days in advance and kept in the fridge.
      • We set up our trusty camp-cooker in the empty kitchen and made coffee which we drank outside.
      • I had to cook something I could make after work, and I had an old electric range with only two rings working.
      • This means having food ready in the freezer to whip out and reheat, or dishes that can be made in advance and kept warm.
      • Who is the man who makes a complicated French dish and videotapes it at the same time?
      • I got back in time to make a big vegetable curry which will last many days.
      • She goes off and makes a hot drink, carefully adds ice cubes to stop it being too hot, and brings it upstairs.
      • CJ told me on the phone yesterday that he'd made himself a meal of tikka masala sauce.
      • I came in a little late for the pork chop dish he was making, but I saw enough to want to give it a try.
      • She turned to make herself a drink, and was surprised to find the coffee jar almost empty.
      • I find the flesh of the sweet potato makes a lovely smooth gnocchi so I often make this dish for supper.
      • Sam had taught her to make a few basic meals and she had found that she rather enjoyed cooking.
      • These guys can make all these non-veg dishes using soya, mushrooms and beancurd.
      • Emily came back an hour ago, stating that she was going to make everyone lunch.
      • Rose left Karrie to making the drinks, and came over to sit on the sofa at the other end to her husband.
      • I was exhausted when I got to Neil's, but looking forward to the lovely chicken he'd made for dinner.
      • It is one of the few dishes I make that he eats without asking for extra anchovies.
      • He got fruit ready for my lunch and made my breakfast.
      Synonyms
      prepare, get ready, put together, concoct, cook, dish up, throw together, whip up, brew
      British informabal mash
      North American informal fix
    4. 1.4 Arrange bedclothes tidily on (a bed) ready for use.
      after breakfast you'd have until 8.25 to make your bed
      Example sentencesExamples
      • According the comments, I don't know how to make a bed properly.
      • She made the bed over again, turning the sheets and pillowcases inside out and fluffing the pillows.
      • There was a double bed, made nicely and a bedside table with a small lamp and alarm clock.
      • She used to have to make 18 beds every morning.
    5. 1.5 Arrange and light materials for (a fire).
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Dad used to make a big deal about getting the fireworks, while Chris and I made a bonfire.
      • They left the car by the side of the road, and ventured a bit into the forest, where they made a fire.
      • Some years ago I met up with an estate agent who loved making fires.
    6. 1.6Electronics Complete or close (a circuit).
      Example sentencesExamples
      • We connect components together with wires or copper tracks to make circuits, but it's the components that do all the work.

  • 2Cause (something) to exist or come about; bring about.

    the drips had made a pool on the floor
    Example sentencesExamples
    • A cut is made through the wall of the abdomen to one side of the main incision.
    • I gave a hammer to one of the men so he could try and make a hole in the glass to give us some air.
    • If you've only got a few leaves then you can sling them in a bin bag, make a few air holes in it, tie up the top and leave it for a year or so.
    • To take a peep at what lies beneath that large, flat expanse of ice, you must first make your ice hole, or maina.
    • Slowly the rock began to move, until a space big enough for Tyler to fit through was made.
    • Brian went to hand the comic back but then brought his other hand up and made a small tear on the front cover.
    • The showroom also has on display some cedar wood carvings which artists have made after a visit to Africa.
    • The surgeon will make a cut (incision) in your lower abdomen and remove your appendix.
    • The door swung open and a flurry of snow came in and quickly started to make pools on the floor.
    • He kicked a car once and made a dent.
    • With a sharp instrument or nail, make marks in the doors at these two points.
    • He makes sculptures out of clay and bakes them into ceramics in his hometown in Shandong Province.
    Synonyms
    cause, create, give rise to, produce, bring about, generate, engender, occasion, effect, set up, establish, institute, found, develop, originate, frame
    1. 2.1with object and complement or infinitive Cause to become or seem.
      decorative features make brickwork more interesting
      the best way to disarm your critics is to make them laugh
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Work has been under way in recent weeks to make Walmgate ready for the changes.
      • The strong cast is what makes this sometimes mediocre material work as well as it does.
      • The ultimate aim is to spread the message of laughter, by making others laugh and become happy.
      • The council is now looking for new sponsors to come on board to join existing ones and help make the show a huge success.
      • Drew laughed softly to herself, a laugh that made Devlin wonder if she was laughing at him.
      • The steering is light and makes the car very easy to place and manoeuvre around tight spaces.
      • This is not the kind of speech to make a deeply unpopular leader any more popular.
      • Oil heated past its smoke point usually emits a bluish smoke and makes food taste burnt.
      • One of the steps in making my flat ready for sale is the redecoration of the entire place.
      • The blend of old and new features makes this a stylish home with character.
      • The other physics teacher, Mr. Meyer, actually makes the class interesting.
      • With the first Toy Story film our idea was that toys are made to be played with, that they exist to make children happy.
      • All credit to them for improving our Christmas lights and making Keighley very colourful.
      • The river was low and clear with good light making everything clearly visible.
      • So I grew my hair very long, took up smoking and tried my hardest to make everyone laugh.
      • It is a means to an end and exists to make life that little bit easier.
      • Every time I saw his face, it made my loss all the keener.
      • The meeting also heard of the problems and costs related to making the village's existing memorials safe.
      • The decision makes her eligible for parole after serving only half, rather than two thirds, of her sentence.
      • If this bald truth makes any one of us feel uncomfortable, we can take some solace in knowing we are not the only species to exploit the lie.
    2. 2.2 Carry out, perform, or produce (a specified action or sound)
      anyone can make a mistake
      Example sentencesExamples
      • There is a famous tradition of creative breakthroughs being made after a good night's sleep.
      • We are trying to get them done as speedily as we can and making every effort to bring them to a quick conclusion.
      • Perez declared flatly that he had made a mistake bringing Queiroz to the club in the first place.
      • My shoes made a soft crunching sound as they crushed the dry, brown grass beneath them.
      • Officers made one arrest and a dog-handling unit was brought in to assist the hunt for others.
      • He moved towards me quietly, his eyes fixed on mine, his footsteps making no sound on the tiled floor.
      • It depends on what kind of deliberation we expect out of the candidates over the coming weeks and the decisions they make after they're elected.
      • A spokesman said the changes had been made after the company had taken on board comments at a public meeting about the original proposals.
      • They are against the Bill and hope to make changes before it reaches its final reading.
      • No decision had yet been made on whether to expand the use of such cameras, he said.
      • I also think that the direct service components in particular help us keep perspective in the choices that we make after we're finished in college.
      • Paul makes a long boring speech, telling everyone to side with commercial development.
      • Several arrests were made after officers found campers carrying weapons.
      • There is no opening speech from the prosecution and neither side makes closing speeches.
      • Sounds to me like you need to make a good few trips to your local charity shop.
      • There are two critical mistakes an organization can make after an attack that can compromise a successful forensic investigation.
      • After all, this is a area where subjective judgements are often made behind closed doors.
      • An unsuccessful attempt had also been made to set fire to the main shop building.
      • A decision has yet to be made over whether Corbet Close will join the regeneration scheme.
      • The announcement was made after a proposal from the mayor at the town council meeting on Tuesday.
      • Business is so good that Yuen and her partner have to make trips twice a week to bring in new stock.
      Synonyms
      cause, create, give rise to, produce, bring about, generate, engender, occasion, effect, set up, establish, institute, found, develop, originate, frame
      literary beget
      perform, execute, give, do, accomplish, achieve, bring off, carry out, effect, practise, engage in, commit, act, prosecute
      perpetrate, commit, be responsible for, be guilty of, be to blame for
      blunder, err, trip up, put a foot wrong, nod, miscalculate
      informal slip up, bloop, make a boo-boo, blow it, foul up, goof (up)
      British informal boob, drop a clanger
      North American informal screw up, drop the ball
    3. 2.3 (in soccer) enable a teammate to score (a goal) by one's play.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He scored a wonderful goal, made the second and now all that Redknapp has to do is ensure he stays.
      • He is exceptional at long balls, crossing and at free kicks and has made goals from all over the park for united.
      • He is a defender, he is a midfielder but he is also an attacker - a winger who makes and scores goals.
      • I made a goal and if I had scored it would have been the icing on the cake for me on my debut.
      • He had shots on goal, made a goal, put in good crosses and did a huge amount defensively.
    4. 2.4 Communicate or express (an idea, request, or requirement)
      there are two more points to make
      with two objects make him an offer he can't refuse
      Example sentencesExamples
      • There is one point that Mrs Wood makes that I cannot agree with, however.
      • An official request has been made to the county council chairman for an extraordinary meeting.
      • But there is one response I do want to make after reading his article several times.
      • Such a person can be held for six months, then another six, and another, as long as the request is made.
      • If you do wish to make a brief closing comment, this is the point at which you have that opportunity.
      • His competitiveness was legendary, and as hard as he was on himself, he made impossible demands on his son.
      • Reportedly, he's close to a deal with the Giants, while the Yankees have yet to make an offer.
      • One can only imagine the offers and entreaties made to screenwriter Simon Beaufoy.
      • I'm not crazy about the title, but Denning does make some very interesting points.
      • How kind of you to take the trouble to write and make such a tempting invite.
      • He made his remarks in a BBC interview earlier this week.
      • If the parties are unable to agree on costs, written submissions may be made to me.
      • In this post, he makes some very interesting and intelligent remarks about underage drinking.
      • It has been an interesting experience and I have a few observations to make after years of reader feedback.
      • Two senators have complained that you made derogatory remarks about them, and they're asking that you tone it down.
      • When an offer was made, even though the union considered it to be an insult, the union did not put it to a vote.
      • I was born and bred in Liverpool and I have to say that I agree with the comments made in The Spectator.
      • She said he requested the ministry to make such an inquiry in one case last November.
      • I'm at a point right now that if somebody makes me an offer to sell out, I'm likely to listen.
      • The council hopes neighbours will work at reaching a settlement before making a formal complaint.
      Synonyms
      utter, give, deliver, give voice to, enunciate, recite, pronounce
    5. 2.5archaic Enter into a contract of (marriage)
      as many sailors do, he made a foolish marriage
      Example sentencesExamples
      • For this is a marriage made in heaven which will surely end in an ugly, emotional divorce.
      • We want our marriage to be recognised as a marriage - just like any other marriage made in Canada.
      • After making a marriage of convenience with a tiresome Duke, she elopes to Europe with her cousin.
      • Monarchs disputed successions and made political marriages in a relentless campaign for empire.
      • If body language was anything to go by, this was indeed a marriage made in heaven.
    6. 2.6with object and complement Appoint or designate (someone) to a position.
      he was made a fellow of the Royal Institute
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He became a prominent supporter of Abraham Lincoln, was made a general in the Civil War, and later became a US senator.
      • King George V made her a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1925.
      • The Dutchman kept Mourinho on his staff, later making him his number 2.
      • Henry II appointed him chancellor and made him his intimate friend and companion.
      • Former Education Authority senior assistant director Gary Nethercott has also been made an assistant chief executive.
      Synonyms
      appoint, designate, name, nominate, select, elect, vote in, install, place, post
      induct, institute, invest, ordain, assign, cast as
      detail, draft, engage, hire, employ, recruit, retain, enrol, enlist, sign up
    7. 2.7with object and complement Represent or cause to appear in a specified way.
      the issue price makes them good value
      Example sentencesExamples
      • A spokesman for Metro said work had to be done to make public transport a more attractive proposition.
      • Inconsequential as they sound, these trivial dilemmas and flaws have the effect of making the cast of characters very human.
      • Because of her obnoxious attitude Chaucer makes her toothless, fat and large.
      • Shut up, buddy: alcohol makes everything better, even pop punk.
      • We come through thinking that going out drinking makes you a big man.
      • You have to call it that now so you can identify with it, but it's just old ideas made new again.
      Synonyms
      be, act as, serve as, function as, constitute, perform the function of, do duty for, play the part of, represent, embody, form
    8. 2.8 Cause to be successful.
      the work which made Wordsworth's reputation
      Example sentencesExamples
      • A hearty soup with lots of vegetables, some rice or pasta and a little protein can make a meal.
      • But it wasn't the flashy rookies who made the show - it was the wily veterans.
      • You have time still, but you have become old enough for reputations to be made.

  • 3 Compel (someone) to do something.

    she bought me a brandy and made me drink it
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Maybe this unexpected surge in sales might even make him reconsider his position.
    • His editorials claim that the men had been made to stay in the open along with their wives and children despite the torrential rain.
    • They made me drive out to Verdun, took all my money, my car, and left me out on the street.
    • My parents kept goats when I was young, and they tried to make me drink the milk.
    • Training didn't make me drink less, but it certainly made the hangovers less painful.
    • I haven't seen it before and try to make myself show some interest whilst cooking dinner.
    • When a certain group tried to make us give into pressure, they were chased away by the ones in power.
    • So, tomorrow sees the start of looking at the reading list, and making myself go find books again.
    • I once travelled in the back of a van and the girl driving made me lie flat on the floor to prevent any passing police seeing me.
    • You guys made me drive all over LA because you spotted someone whom you thought was a celebrity.
    • If everyone is made to carry ID cards it will foster the idea that we are all under suspicion.
    • He directed me to get out of the car and made me walk a straight line.
    • She was not happy about traveling because her mother always made her dress up.
    • He made me drink this glass of chalky, orangey liquid, insisting that it would make me feel better.
    • Even big, subsidised companies have been made to juggle sponsorships and have success.
    • Unfortunately, we had an awkward situation during the race that made us lose the position.
    • We were always being made to wait for appointments on the scanner at Scarborough.
    • The image was too shocking to be used in any publicity designed to make drivers slow down.
    • I'm really not proud of what we did to this kid, but peer pressure makes you do weird things.
    • His mother Jacqueline resorted to emotional blackmail to try to make him stop.
    Synonyms
    force, compel, coerce, press, drive, pressure, pressurize, oblige, require
    have someone do something, prevail on, dragoon, bludgeon, strong-arm, impel, constrain, urge, will, steamroller, browbeat, intimidate, use strong-arm tactics on, bully, hector, blackmail
    informal railroad, bulldoze, put the heat on, put the screws on, turn/tighten the screw/screws on

  • 4Constitute; amount to.

    they made an unusual duo
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Roughly eight million bits make a megabyte.
    • Tell them that one and one make two, and they'll insist it makes three.
    • The history of this fish and its value to Ireland makes an interesting and readable record.
    • The diary makes a very interesting read, and the author has an admirable sense of humour.
    • This makes the third time I have started this letter and always something comes up to interfere with its writing.
    • We made a pretty good team.
    • Rachael and Stephanie make a mean sisterly duo on the hill rally circuit.
    • The results of the survey will make depressing reading for the company's beleaguered shareholders.
    • The idea of Satan and God waging a bet makes a pretty interesting story.
    • This is true, interesting and important, but doesn't make much of a blog posting.
    • It usually takes at least two or three people to order enough dishes to make a good Chinese meal.
    Synonyms
    be, act as, serve as, function as, constitute, perform the function of, do duty for, play the part of, represent, embody, form
    1. 4.1 Be suitable for or likely to develop into.
      this fern makes a good houseplant
      Example sentencesExamples
      • If there were more money in it, he would clearly have made an astute, if waspish critic.
      • This rice dish is a meal in itself and makes a lovely summer lunch dish, served warm or at room temperature.
      • In fact, as the months go by I have begun to see that Hilary would make a far finer wife than the errant Stella.
      • With her long features and battered trilby, she also makes a plausibly boyish Ganymede.
      • If a man wipes his feet on the door mat before coming into the room, you may be sure he will make a good domestic husband.
      • I wish it were as light and soft as it looks; then it would make a really interesting new kind of mattress.
      • He would have made a great prime minister, if only the media would have gone easier on him.
      • The Alsatian makes a fine herding animal and is a certain winner in obedience trials.
      • We didn't realise at the time that a car seat also makes a very fine rocking chair.
      • This image of A Cold Christmas Day would make a really fine Xmas card.
      • The apple puff pancake makes a delightful brunch dish - or a unique supper dessert.
      • He's not just my long-term life partner; he makes a fine hot water bottle too.
      • Now, at 10 months, she would make a fine family pet and could be quite happily kept in a garage.
      • Baker makes an effective human hero and Adams an interesting ally.
      • As a former forward I've my own ideas about what makes a great forward.
      • This makes a great dinner-party dish as it can be prepared a day ahead.
      Synonyms
      be, act as, serve as, function as, constitute, perform the function of, do duty for, play the part of, represent, embody, form
    2. 4.2 Consider to be; estimate as.
      How many are there? I make it sixteen
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I make it - what? A hundred fifty yards to the bend?
      • We are currently at 13,000, excuse me, make that 14,200 feet above sea level, looking out over a sea of clouds.
      • What time do you make it?
      Synonyms
      compute, calculate, work out
      estimate, count up, determine, gauge, reckon, put a figure on, give a figure to, forecast, predict
    3. 4.3 Agree or decide on (a specified arrangement)
      let's make it 7.30
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Since the fire, arrangements have been made to move the family to Wiltshire.
      • They don't collect our rubbish at all - we have to make separate and costly arrangements.
      • Before we headed toward our trains, we made a lunch date.
      • The mailing address post office box will remain open for now, until other arrangements are made.
      • They started talking and before long they had made a date.
      • Let's make it a night for ourselves.
      • Details of the scheme will be announced as soon as arrangements have been made.
      • If a few arrangements are made beforehand it can make the bereavement process that much easier.
      • Please check with Fred Hulmes before making any other arrangements to avoid disappointment.
      • The match was so much enjoyed by all concerned that it was unanimously agreed to make this the first of a regular series.
      Synonyms
      reach, come to, settle on, determine on, conclude, establish, seal

  • 5Gain or earn (money or profit)

    he'd made a lot of money out of hardware
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Edwards has made a fortune as a lawyer.
    • New growth companies make their money by bringing a fresh approach to the business world.
    • Put at its most simple, private companies exist to make profit for their share holders.
    • Any money they make after they've paid back the loan can either be put back into the business or kept.
    • Their popularity showed that there was money to be made by appealing to the baser instincts of young men.
    • The only person who will gain will be some landlord who will make money from his rent.
    • He makes millions of dollars a year!
    • When things got really bad I would buy a wreck, do it up and make a bigger profit.
    • There's a lot of profit to be made if the volumes of the sale are particularly huge.
    • There is a community which makes a pretty good living out of ironing clothes alone.
    • Until a couple of years ago it was making a million pounds profit a day and enjoyed high customer satisfaction ratings.
    • He claimed that he made little or no money from the deals and passed most of the cash to the detective.
    • Descended from a long line of watchmakers, he makes a living designing timepieces.
    • If they do make a surplus that money goes back into the school to provide bursaries or development projects.
    • Being an artist is a way to get my songs out there, but labels are looking to make money and a profit.
    • He was duped into thinking he would make a huge profit by buying jewels being brought into Britain.
    • For the rest of his life he struggled to find time and energy to compose while making a living as a teacher and performer.
    • They will make money and bring us lots of other benefits too, the promoters promise.
    • I don't intend to live at my daughter's flat or benefit from any profit she may make when selling it.
    • If those companies believed there were profits to be made, they were right.
    Synonyms
    acquire, obtain, gain, get, realize, secure, win, earn
    gross, fetch, bring in, take (in)
    take home, pocket, net, clear
    1. 5.1Cricket Score (a specified number of runs)
      he made a century
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Eight batsmen have made 12 centuries this summer.
      • Can you give some more details of the innings when Don Bradman made 300 in a day in a Test?
      • The batting will be left alone with each of the top five making half centuries.
      • In 1900 he became only the third player ever to make 2000 runs and take over 100 wickets in a season.
      • Fleming stated before this match that he needed to start making runs, as every international batsman does.
      Synonyms
      take revenge, take one's revenge, hit back at someone, get back at someone, retaliate, get even, get one's own back, pay someone back, give someone a dose of their own medicine, give someone a taste of their own medicine, pay someone back in their own coin

  • 6Manage to arrive at (a place) within a specified time or catch (a train or other form of transport)

    we've got a lot to do if you're going to make the shuttle
    they didn't always make it on time
    Example sentencesExamples
    • I will have to travel a distance to make it there and do not want to find it closed upon arrival.
    • Only thing is, we now have to get back to Wimbledon to pick up the car to make a 1pm lunch date in Folkestone!
    • Seems he and Abi had a gig and it was such short notice that his band couldn't make it.
    • Sorry to mess you around, but I am not in the office again today so will not be able to make the meeting.
    • If I can get to Hammersmith by twenty to one in the morning I can make the very last train into Richmond.
    • He wasn't in so much of a hurry to leave and managed to kiss and hug us all before being shunted off to make his plane.
    • What will be done to improve them and when can we expect to start making it to our classes on time?
    • She only makes it to the terminal thanks to two blokes in a red pickup truck who give her a lift.
    • Due to some fab driving and running three red lights we made it with two minutes to spare.
    • It's too bad that I can't make her party tomorrow night.
    • The only way we could make it on time was to start driving on Thanksgiving Day and keep going way into the night.
    Synonyms
    catch, get, arrive/be in time for, arrive at, reach
    get to
    1. 6.1make it Become successful.
      he waited confidently for his band to make it
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Before we made it, he drove a fruit and veg van and then would drive us to all our gigs.
      • He came from Toxteth and everybody looked up to him because he'd made it.
      • I can only imagine what it must be like to be one of a team that makes it all the way in any walk of life.
      • There is a myth that gifted children don't need any special help, that they'll make it on their own.
      • She said Davis made it because of her singing - not a crazy costume or attention-getting gimmick.
      • He's confident he's made it as an actor, because a club devoted to hating him has sprung up at his cousin's school.
      Synonyms
      succeed, be successful, prosper, distinguish oneself, be a success, get ahead, make good
      informal make the grade, arrive, crack it, cut it, find a place in the sun
    2. 6.2make it Succeed in reaching safety or in surviving.
      the pilot didn't make it—his neck's broken
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The group had been walking all morning before making it through a small forest.
      • He never made it to the stadium as he was blown up by a bomb planted in his vehicle.
      • So you had persons from both ends of the spectrum making it all the way to the White House.
      • The rest of team made it up to high camp, joining forces with Todd and Winslow's team.
      • I know I am very lucky - the three people around me were all killed - I really don't know how I made it.
      • Here is a story that limps to its start but then shifts gears and makes it to the finish.
      • He's lived longer than the doctors expected - they didn't think he'd make it to November.
      • It was used to bury a lot of bomber command crew who had made it home, but didn't survive.
      • In general it tends to be independent travellers and divers who make it to the island.
      • Once we finally made it up to the top of the hill, the forest opened up to the lodging area at Punta Marenco.
      • Having made it to the boat, he took a new rope and made it back to the shore successfully.
      • The day before yesterday we all made it up to camp one to spend the night.
      Synonyms
      survive, come through, pull through, get better, recover, rally, recuperate
    3. 6.3 Achieve a place in.
      Australia should make the final
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He has his sights set even higher than that with the dream of making the World Games to be held in China in 2007.
      • He registered at Florida Southern College but did not make the team.
      • The move could cost taxpayers a five-figure sum if England makes it as far as the final.
      • But he also admitted that even making the World Cup playoffs was a difficult target to hit.
      • Unluckily for me I've been injured at the end of every season, but hopefully I can shake this off and make the final.
      • It is one of only three in Hampshire to have made it onto the latest roll of honour.
      • Despite the involvement of 1000 people in the rioting, the story didn't make the front page.
      • The flipside of that is the boost the winner would get from successfully making it to the final.
      • All of them are men, and we look forward to the day when an Indian woman makes it to the list!
      • It was a great innovation, great software, and it perhaps should have made it on the list.
      Synonyms
      gain a place in, get into, gain access to, enter
      achieve, attain
    4. 6.4 Achieve the rank of.
      he wasn't going to make captain
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He made colonel in less than 15 years, as a nonrated maintenance officer.
      • He was commissioned in 1944 and made flight lieutenant two years later.
      Synonyms
      succeed, be successful, prosper, distinguish oneself, be a success, get ahead, make good

  • 7no object, with adverbial of direction Prepare to go in a particular direction.

    he struggled to his feet and made towards the car
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Mom was the first to get up from her seat and made toward the door.
    • I made towards the most colourful hut, which was obviously a bar though I couldn't see a name on it.
    • Stepping down from the spire he made towards the door, when suddenly he heard voices from below.
    • He made towards the window and sat down in the chair closest to it, panting.
    Synonyms
    go towards, head for, head towards, aim for, make one's way towards, move towards, direct one's steps towards, steer a course towards, be bound for, set out for, make a beeline for, take to
    1. 7.1with infinitive Act as if one is about to perform an action.
      she made as if to leave the room
      Example sentencesExamples
      • ‘Come on,’ I said, making as though to stand up.
      • Chris made to move through the doorway, when he glanced up and looked straight at Sarah.
      • The problem had begun a short time earlier, when a guest was making to leave.
      • He looks at her helplessly, then makes as if to say something.
      Synonyms
      feign, pretend, give the impression, make a pretence of, make a show of, affect, feint, make out

  • 8North American informal Induce (someone) to have sexual intercourse with one.

    he had been trying to make Cynthia for two years now
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Is it possible that this is just a guy on the make, doing everything he can, just to make it with a woman?
    • He never tried to make her, never laid a hand on her.
    • He drove a Ferrari, he had long hair, and rumour had it he had even made it with a girl!

  • 9(in bridge, whist, etc.) win (a trick).

    Example sentencesExamples
    • On the other hand, if a declarer makes no tricks, it is a match against her.
    • As an added complication, no sequence can be counted until its holder has actually made a trick.
    • A contract to make 12 tricks is known as a small slam.
    • If a defender made one or more tricks, he subtracts one point for each trick.
    • You win less or lose more than you would by playing solo 8 and making the same number of tricks.
    1. 9.1 Win a trick with (a card).
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Although on table 1 our North-South pair defeated West's 5 diamonds, on table 2 with the same cards our East-West pair allowed North to play and make 4 hearts.
    2. 9.2 Win the number of tricks that fulfils (a contract).
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The players in the team that won the bidding score only those cards in those tricks that make the contract.
      • After a contract on the bid is made, the declarer decides whether to set the rank for that hand high or low.
    3. 9.3 Shuffle (cards) for dealing.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Peter made the cards and handed them to Stern to deal.

  • 10Nautical
    no object (of the tide) begin to flow or ebb.

    Example sentencesExamples
    • It's an ugly place to be caught on a lee shore with a westerly gale and the tide making.
noun meɪkmeɪk

  • 1The manufacturer or trade name of a product.

    the make, model, and year of his car
    Example sentencesExamples
    • He paces around in a panic comparing makes and models of everything and anything as if his life depended upon it.
    • Many racers drive certain makes or models because they love the look or feel of the car.
    • The owners of the building refused to reveal which makes of toys had been stored at the warehouse.
    • They were different makes and models, but all of them should have been painted yellow.
    • Now I know my size in two makes of bra I can shop online - oh the safety of that.
    • We all demand different qualities in a regulator and find these in various makes.
    • There are many different makes and models of reel, which can be used for this type of zander fishing.
    • There are many proprietary makes of planer on the market but they are all basically the same.
    • The range of makes and models on offer, Orton said, had a visible impact on visitor numbers.
    • It should be an interesting race with the key factor being the influence of temperature on both makes of tyres.
    • The first was as Purdey, the New Avengers character reputedly named after a make of shotgun.
    • The frame is UFS which makes it compatible with many other makes of frame out there.
    • Yet it was really the Morris Minor of 1928 that established the make in the public eye.
    • To be a pilot you need to know aerodynamics and a bit about the engines but you don't need to know the make of the fuel pump.
    • Also the merits of the different makes of computer processor were being bantered around.
    • Why won't the music industry embrace the ringtone market by generating multiple formats for the Top 40, ensuring pop sounds for every make of phone?
    • The statistics include registrations of various makes which compete with each other.
    • Mark your property with a UV marker pen and take details of the make and model when you buy it.
    • With so many makes, models and marques on the market, how on earth do you choose which one?
    • Vehicles of all makes and models whizzed by as the freighter passed over them.
    Synonyms
    brand, marque, model, mark, sort, type, kind, variety, style, label
    1. 1.1 The structure or composition of something.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Even from a distance I could see it was of fine make, for the hilt glittered with silver as he held it up.

  • 2The making of electrical contact.

Phrases

  • be made of money

    • informal often with negativeBe very rich.

      we're not going to pay for it—we're not made of money
      Example sentencesExamples
      • You may be made of money but I'll bet your patients are not.
      • He thought city people were made of money, and for a time obliged them to pay a dollar for a loaf of bread.
      • At a school where almost everyone was made of money, buying lots of chocolate was something that was high on our list of things to buy that wasn't going to put us out of pocket.
      • Lucy just proves you don't need to be made of money to have great style.
      • Not being made of money, this was always a very sore time of the year for us.
      • Unless the user is made of money I doubt anyone will have had this done as the handset is less than 6 months old.
      • I wouldn't have minded living here if I had a helicopter to avoid the traffic and if I was made of money.
      • Not being made of money, we made the decision that we would rather spend less and live more.
      • However, not everyone is made of money, and for them value will become a much bigger issue.
      • Not everyone is made of money and people know this.

  • be made up

    • 1Be delighted.

      we're made up about the baby
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I think of him a lot when I go running and he would be made up about me doing the triathlon.
      • He's made up with his player of the month award.
      • As players and mates, we are made up for him but it hurts to think he is no longer alongside us in the trenches.
      • I was made up about being best man.

    • 2Be assured of success; be lucky.

      what with the high prices since the war started, we'll be made up if it lasts
      Example sentencesExamples
      • What with the high prices for the grain an' the exportin' wholesale since the war started, we'll be made up if it lasts.

  • have (got) it made

    • informal Be in a position where success is certain.

      because your dad's a manager, he's got it made
      Example sentencesExamples
      • From St. Louis to New York City, the Rocky Mountains and rural Washington State, folk music fans have got it made for the summertime.
      • I am very organizationally challenged, but this is one area where I think the guys have got it made.
      • Just when you think you have it made, a new form of technology comes along and you have to do it all over again.
      • First, she points out how easy it is for her and me, and others who comparatively have it made, to avoid direct action.
      • I suppose we all think that the guy with the business has got it made, but that is not always so.
      • Sensing he has got it made, Ricky sets out to enjoy the high life of stretch limos, nightclubs, and, of course, women.
      • But just as it seems that they might relax and say they have it made, they are suddenly faced with a new challenge: the economic rules have changed.
      • Nothing can be more repellent to me than the self-satisfied smile of someone who thinks he has got it made.
      • At first glance, Clarkson would seem to have it made.
      • Honestly, I think that little kids have it made.

  • make a day (or night) of it

    • Devote a whole day (or night) to an activity.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • The City was making a day of it, and encouraging citizens to bring a packed lunch and enjoy the show.
      • We decided to make a night of it and head out for some drinks.
      • Manchester is one of the most user-friendly towns in terms of getting around and making a day of it.
      • I reckon the cops have a blast - they grab a 12-pack (of doughnuts) and make a night of it!
      • So if you're in the mood for good food and good music, make a night of it and head down to Fado.
      • He then suggested some sort of an ‘activity’ to make a day of it, like dinner and a movie.
      • She said: ‘It is not often that I make a night of it in Glasgow but this is a special occasion.’
      • My mother and I often made a day of it at the department stores in downtown Washington.
      • Helping father on the allotment was a favourite way of spending Bank Holiday, and many made a day of it with a picnic beside the cabbage patch.
      • It's ideal for a one-off treatment or for making a day of it, with a full range of state-of-the-art pampering packages on offer.

  • make someone's day

    • Make an otherwise ordinary or dull day pleasingly memorable for someone.

      a mention in her favourite mag would make her day
      Example sentencesExamples
      • To women, things like that are of huge importance and can make your day, while to men they are insignificant.
      • He gave us gentle advice and absolutely made our day with his genuine manner and delivery.
      • It's gratifying when you find something for someone and it makes their day.
      • Kerry was delighted with her gifts from the Rotarians and thanked all of them for making her day.
      • Britney makes my day when she posts letters, she really does.
      • You really made our day in so many ways, I can't list them all… we couldn't have done it without you!
      • ‘When I get a customer who is excited by everything and keen to try new things, it just makes my day,’ Ottavio says.
      • Sometimes, its the small things that make your day.
      • It honestly makes my day when a friend sends me an e-mail.
      • I hope that your letters, emails, comments and questions keep coming because reading them makes my day.

  • make a House

    • Secure the presence of enough members for a quorum or support in the House of Commons.

  • make do

    • Manage with the limited or inadequate means available.

      Dad would have to make do with an old car
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Many more channels are available nowadays, even if some of us still make do with the five.
      • In the meanwhile, James, being a tradesman, has been making do with public transport and lifts from workmates to get around the various jobsites.
      • Aided by support staff and by reading specialists, teachers made do with the pedagogical knowledge and skills that were available to them.
      • So far, Holden and Hughes have been making do with a swish flat in the area.
      • Everyone else has developed a mania for making do with less.
      • After so many years of being on split sites and making do, the new state-of-the-art building could be open by the end of next year.
      • But some unlucky arrivals are making do with a mattress on the floor of a large room in a hall of residence.
      • In the meantime, everybody else mends and makes do.
      • A civilization that believes itself capable of making do without other civilizations tends to be headed toward its doom.
      • People with learning difficulties no longer have to make do with what is available.
      Synonyms
      scrape along, scrape by, get along, get by, manage, cope, survive, muddle along, muddle through, fare all right, make the best of a bad job, improvise, make ends meet, keep the wolf from the door, keep one's head above water, shift for oneself
      make the best of, get by on, get by with, put to the best use, make the most of

  • make do and mend

    • Manage with and repair the possessions one already has rather than buying replacements.

      the austerity of the war years taught her to make do and mend
      as modifier the economic crisis sparked a new make-do-and-mend attitude
      Example sentencesExamples
      • With 10 members of the first-team squad out injured and captain Lee Bullen suspended after being sent off during the opening-day draw at Preston, there was a sense of make do and mend about Wednesday's line-up.
      • The British are well known for being able to make do and mend, but there has to be some remaining substance in the damaged article, upon which to make the repair.
      • When the club failed to find the right incentives to lure a world class striker, the manager insisted he would make do and mend.
      • We should not be endorsing an official policy of make do and mend as this will only cost us even more in the future.
      • Should the suspected hamstring strain rule the player out for anything up to six weeks, we will have to make do and mend with those currently at the club.
      • Environmentally conscious women are buying more and more sewing machines as they turn their backs on disposable high street fashion in order to "make do and mend", according to retailers.
      • Thanks to a crafty grandmother who made do and mended when I lived with her as a child, I've got the bug now.
      • He believes the recession will allow us to rediscover some "long-forgotten, old-fashioned values" ... like rationing, perhaps, and learning to "make do and mend".
      • Ron said: "We were married shortly after the war and you had to make do and mend."
      • Should we all get back to the "make do and mend" mentality?

  • make like

    • informal Pretend to be; imitate.

      now make like my pants and split
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Of course this was before she made like Patti LaBelle and got a new attitude.
      • If you're more the type to let the ocean provide the motion, why not spend a day at one of the fabulous wave pools, making like ducks.
      • Marty Anderson, who was on the pro tour at the time, used to make like a bird and pretend to fly.
      • Miller makes like a guitar hero yet again and Prescott screams about being master of his domain.
      • Jones was making like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the aftermath of his sacking, promising that he'll be back.
      • If you want an alternative to a T-shirt or vest, make like Kate Moss and wear your skirt with a waistcoat and nothing else.
      • I've been here, blogging away, making like we were the strong, ever-capable parenting-types, when in truth, we're unmitigated failures.
      • Let's see; there are bongos and guitars and cymbals and gongs and a saxophone, and one or more gentlemen grunting and moaning and generally making like Mark E. Smith.
      • When they came in, I made like it was my house and that the unexpected-but-very-very-welcome guests had arrived.
      • He makes like a much saner but less personable Iggy Pop.
      Synonyms
      imitate, mimic, do an impression of, ape

  • make or break

    • Be the factor which decides whether (something) will succeed or fail.

      the soundtrack can make or break a production
      as modifier a make-or-break match
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The big two in local football are heading for a make or break month of matches.
      • The pressure, the exposure and the rewards involved in matches like these are such that they can make or break a player's career.
      • TV coverage of elections and governmental affairs can make or break a politician's career.
      • These next few weeks will be make or break for many businesses.
      • Social networking has changed the rules of the game and consumers now have the power to make or break a brand.
      • As any sports fanatic knows, commentary can make or break any game, whether on TV or on a console.
      • The quality of the lighting system is a make or break factor in the 24 Hour Race.
      • Did your mark on your grade five geography project really make or break your admittance into university?
      • My reply got me thinking about the different ways that elders make or break communities.
      • As a dining companion pointed out, the crust can make or break a pizza, and in this case, it broke it.

  • make sail

    • 1Spread a sail or sails.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • One never leaves the safety of the cockpit when making sail, reefing, or stowing sails.
      • Stepping their masts and making sail, side by side, the four boats of the Daydream forged steadily ahead.
      • As soon as the natives retired ashore, we made sail and spent our time standing off and on.
      • If called on deck for the purpose of shortening or making sail they should come at once.
      • To make sail is to spread an additional quantity of sail, so as to increase the ship's velocity.
      1. 1.1Start a voyage.
        Example sentencesExamples
        • As Iberville's ships sailed west, Arriola left Francisco Martinez in command and made sail for Mexico.
        • On the twenty-first, the weather being unusually pleasant, we again made sail to the southward, with the resolution of penetrating in that course as far as possible.
        • After she had been on board about an hour, a breeze springing up, we weighed anchor and made sail.
        • We being very short of water, made sail at 6 p.m. on the 25th and took our departure from that place for Texas.
        • Having succeeded in this attempt, we made sail for the stockade of the other chief, and arrived there that evening.
        • The latter immediately made sail in chase, and before dark ascertained that the strangers were enemies.
        • The death was a shock to all on board and it was a subdued company that made sail for Bermuda.
        • He had decided to make sail for that point where they had last seen Dolphin.
        • At half-past twelve, when the two frigates were about three miles apart, the Pique filled her yards and made sail towards the Blanche, which shortly after had brought-to the schooner.
        • The wind began to stir, so it was time to up anchor and make sail before the flood would impede my exit from the Roach and make its way up the Crouch.

  • make time

    • 1Find an occasion when time is available to do something.

      the nurse should make time to talk to the patient
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Of all the tasks you spend time on every day, making time for your family can be the most meaningful.
      • But he still makes time for the important stuff, and thankfully that also includes coming to the Vancouver festival more often.
      • Plan ahead, make sure you've got time to do everything you need to do while making time to relax and enjoy yourself
      • Kevin and I always made time for the occasional dinner date, family outing and romantic vacation.
      • I find my biggest problem now is making time for everything.
      • He thanked the players and manager for making time to attend before having to rush off to training.
      • Having a sense of humour, being polite, and making time for some personal conversation can often make a huge difference in the attitude of others.
      • So in addition to being available and approachable, make time during the day to informally interact with staffers.
      • He rarely makes time to exercise, occasionally playing squash or visiting the gym when he has the time and energy.
      • Occasionally, make time to invite a neighbor over and perform for them after a lunch or dinner.

    • 2Make sexual advances to someone.

      I couldn't make time with Marilyn because she was already a senior
      Example sentencesExamples
      • De Gauche plans to marry Roxane to his best friend, who will overlook De Gauche making time with his wife.
      • Ethan gets a gig playing in Harrisburg and Justin secretly follows, catching the new boyfriend making time with an admirer.
      • The fairer sex was indeed Johnson's downfall as he was likely poisoned by the jealous husband of a woman he was making time with.
      • ‘So it suits me fine living there - there's never a shortage of handsome men eager to make time with me,’ she adds saucily.
      • I saw you making time with that man.
      • Meanwhile, Ron was trying to make time with a table of ladies.
      • Her little sister certainly didn't seem to have a problem making time with Nick.

  • make up one's mind

    • Make a decision; decide.

      he made up his mind to attend the meeting
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He has made up his mind, in future, steadfastly to refuse all proposals, come from what quarter they may.
      • You could spend half a day making up your mind what to order.
      • It starts with just making up your mind that you want to make a change in your life.
      • He made up his mind to leave Sunday morning and decided to go for another drive.
      • I look at all sides of the issue before making up my mind.
      • I plan to go see the movie myself before making up my mind - though it may be out in video by that time.
      • Television channels began flashing news that she had made up her mind to refuse the premiership.
      • I am having trouble making up my mind how I feel on any one thing.
      • And Shelley had made up her mind that this year, her junior year, there was going to be a difference.
      • At 35 and obviously aging, Roy Jones needs to make up his mind and decide on his future very soon.
      Synonyms
      decide, be decisive, come to a decision, make a decision, reach a decision

  • make way

    • 1Allow room for someone or something else.

      the land is due to be concreted over to make way for a car park
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Since then vast tracts of fields and woodlands have disappeared to make way for housing and other development.
      • The historic market, at the heart of town life for centuries, will be leaving the town for good to make way for redevelopment.
      • In some cases they have been ousted to make way for senior officials.
      • We just threw all my stuff against the walls of the room to make way for the bed.
      • Peter congratulated him before asking which unfortunate soul had been dropped to make way for his young brother.
      • ‘Companies have been telling employees who don't want to move to make way for Olympic venues that if you don't go, you'll be out of a job,’ he said.
      • So he set out, but on the road and in the village no one made way for him, and when he begged no one gave him alms.
      • Two houses would have to be demolished to make way for the scheme.
      • Mr and Mrs Sweeney hope to be in their new bungalow by the first week in February, to make way for the school's new caretaker.
      • They got rid of the only hospital in town to make way for a motorway that allowed tourists going to the Lake District to get past us a bit quicker.
      Synonyms
      move aside, clear the way, make a space, make room, stand back

    • 2Nautical
      Make progress; travel.

      water slapped along the hull as we begin to make way
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Henrietta, shouldering an opened parasol, followed the tapping of Josh's cane as they made way slowly to the pier.
      • Alan clutched his bag and made way to the door.
      • After trading our purchased drink tickets for beers, we made way to the complimentary buffet.
      • On deck, he made way toward William, who he saw as soon as he came.
      • Seeing the sun beginning to set he made way for his balcony.
      • I hadn't yet hired a car, so I scanned the available rental counters and made way for Budget.
      • We booked into our hotel suite, and then made way down towards the beach.
      • The Hornet set sail and made way for the launch point Southeast of Japan's coast line.
      • After this uninformed assessment we proceeded and made way out of Road Town toward Norman Island.
      • She thought about the men running the ship, in the cold night air, making way over the deep ocean.
      Synonyms
      move aside, clear the way, make a space, make room, stand back

  • on the make

    • 1informal Intent on gain, typically in an unscrupulous way.

      crooked politicians on the make
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Mackintosh beckoned from across the park, then sat down next to him like a vagrant on the make.
      • This is the story of his adventures when he is sent away to live in London with his uncle, a fat man always on the make - the book's finest comic creation.
      • Journalists, particularly those on the make, will pursue ‘a story’ with little regard for its effect on the people involved and their families.
      • He was certainly an ambitious young man who was always on the make, looking for the next angle.
      • He's got that furtive manner of someone always on the make, someone looking for an angle, probing for a weakness.
      • It was laughable, but then what can be expected from politicians always on the make for a quick pic or plausible headline.
      • However, at its extreme, this has led to the all-too-familiar deformation of the professional as simply the expert for hire, or another mercenary on the make.
      • There is always someone on the make in a crisis.
      • Never trust a biologist on the make, or a former Trotskyist who aligns himself with the neocons…
      • They are all young bands on the make - and Franz Ferdinand is already well on the way to world domination.
      Synonyms
      ambitious, aspiring, determined, forceful, pushy, enterprising, pioneering, progressive, eager, motivated, enthusiastic, energetic, zealous, committed, go-ahead, go-getting, purposeful, assertive, aggressive, hungry, power-hungry
      1. 1.1Looking for a sexual partner.
        he was always on the make and he had a very quick turnover
        Example sentencesExamples
        • Evie is always on the make - seducing boys, girls, young men, and Tracy's mother.
        • This former garage is always buzzing with singles, many who seem on the make.
        • In the dog-eat-dog world of New York dating, pals on the make face an unhappy dilemma: Who's more important, the fling or the friend?
        • And all the girls in the film are on the make for Clint.
        • For handsome twentysomething men on the make, the ideal Manhattan woman is neither the supermodel nor the stripper.
        • She was obviously on the make for her mother's boyfriend.
        • He is soon smitten with new student Pat McClellan who is on the make for the most handsome and richest of the Tait College men.
        • We meet the giggly girls, lads on the make, lager louts and smooth talking DJs, all set against the glitzy glamour of the dance floor.
        • The crowd can be a little shaky sometimes (a few too many single people on the make!) but the decor is simply mindbendingly good.
        • Why are some people faithful and others on the make?

  • put the make on

    • informal Make sexual advances to (someone)

      an old flame she thought she could reconnect with put the make on someone else
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He doesn't think Laura can handle Robert, and Luke is worried that Robert is putting the make on her.
      • He recalls that he ‘was trying to put the make on’ this woman, confirming the viewer's sense that the sexual interest expressed by the participants was authentic.
      • And she's also back to her old ways in the man department, putting the make on married older dudes, especially non-showbiz spouses of her female friends and costars.
      • Back in high school, my buddies tried to put the make on anything that moved.
      • The movie opens in a bar, where an older blonde puts the make on laborer Vince Everett.
      • Tony Curtis plays his poor, young slave, who runs away to join up with Spartacus after Olivier puts the make on him.
      • I am not the most assertive when it comes to putting the make on someone but I respond very well to seduction.
      • And the next time he puts the make on you, remind him that's what he has a girlfriend for.
      • The boys all head for a dance hall, where Scott puts the make on a mousy girl named Connie.
      • A fireman, with an eye for the ladies, tries to put the make on an independent young typist.
      • The next thing we know, Marion is putting the make on her former lover Alec, Lisa is in labor, a baby changes hands and things get even more complicated.
      • After her uncle puts the make on her she takes off on her own using her feminine wiles to make it to the top.
      • Amazingly, a female patron put the make on me after the movie ended.
      • In the film's most nerve-racking scene, one of those youngsters manages to get Helen alone in a passenger car of a commuter train - and puts the make on her.
      • Dishevelled and tearful, her self-esteem has just taken a beating as she has watched an old flame she thought she could reconnect with put the make on someone else.
      • He then sent me to the company psychiatrist who put the make on me, and then I really did scream to get out.
      • From what he could tell, though, at least Johnny wasn't trying to put the make on her.
      Synonyms
      make sexual advances to, make advances to, make sexual overtures to, proposition, make a sexual approach to

  • you couldn't make it up

    • Said in reference to something too astonishing to be believed.

      it is so ridiculous, you couldn't make it up
      Example sentencesExamples
      • A former jailbird playing Churchill? You couldn't make it up, could you?
      • This is so stupid you couldn't make it up.
      • There is, of course, no lack of bad news around - war looming, jobs lost, the stock market crashing, you couldn't make it up.
      • She was wearing a black curly wig tied under her chin with a black shoelace; honestly, you couldn't make it up and we couldn't work for laughing.
      • At this rate, more people will have taken my quiz in the next week than have visited my website in the past year: you couldn't make it up, really.

Phrasal Verbs

  • make after

    • Pursue (someone).

      Example sentencesExamples
      • I nodded, made after him quickly and eased myself through the hole.
      • I slipped my other shoe into my bag and made after him - he wasn't hard to locate.

  • make away with

    • 1Carry (something) away illicitly.

      he smashed a glass case and made away with a number of items of jewellery
      Example sentencesExamples
      • An impostor enters the phone network of a top government agency and makes away with classified information by spoofing his caller ID.
      • The book starts with poachers killing a pair of rhinos in a San Antonio zoo and making away with their horns.
      • When he was trying to clean the stains with a piece of cloth, they made away with the cash bag kept in the vehicle.
      • A sweet and submissive mantrap, Irina ultimately makes away with an art collection, most of the petty cash, and the show.
      • The thieves waited for the interval between the security men leaving the gallery and the alarm being set before making away with the pictures.
      • She said her attackers gagged her mouth and tied her to the bed before making away with the property.
      • I felt bad as I could not do anything to prevent the robbers from making away with our valuables.
      • The process continues and the employee makes away with increasingly larger amounts of money, involving more and more accounts.
      • This would make it more difficult for a thief to make away with the item.
      • The traders - the Frenchman and the Russian - are left with nothing; and Kim makes away with all their maps and secret papers - a coup for British intelligence.
      1. 1.1Kill (someone) furtively and illicitly.
        for all we know she could have been made away with
        Example sentencesExamples
        • It was while they were making away with the second daughter that they were arrested.
        • The only question that seemed to trouble him was, whom to make away with; for he was not blind to the fact that murder requires a victim as well as a priest.
        • Afterwards, at Bedriacum, Placentia and other camps, high and low made away with themselves in the same way.
        • Up till then, individual efforts to make away with him had been made, and all had failed.
        • She heard that her son had been a coward and unworthy of her, and when he arrived, she made away with him.
        • What good is the band if the lead singer makes away with himself.
        Synonyms
        kill, murder, put to death, slaughter, dispatch, execute, eliminate

  • make for

    • 1Move or head towards (a place)

      I made for the life raft and hung on for dear life
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The invasion force making for Midway was ineffectually attacked on 3 June, and Midway was heavily bombed on the following day.
      • Parliament decided to use its army to cut off Rupert's lines of support and so moved off the moor and made for Tadcaster.
      • I opened the door and out he dashed, making for his favourite hiding place.
      • He ordered us to go and we moved into a jog, making for our destination.
      • He tottered blindly towards the bar like a camel making for an oasis after a hard day at the office.
      • The crowd has swelled so you can't move, let alone photograph, so I make for a restaurant on a first floor from where I can look down on the concert below.
      • The fumes of the city stung harshly in my nose as I inched towards the Ramblas, one among twenty thousand making for Barcelona's famous promenade.
      • She pushed past him, making for the entrance in the rock through which her guide had disappeared.
      • But finding his army outflanked by Cromwell, he moved south in August, making for the old royalist strongholds of Wales and the west midlands.
      • Inside, he waved Susan towards his rocking chair and made for the kitchen.
      Synonyms
      go towards, head for, head towards, aim for, make one's way towards, move towards, direct one's steps towards, steer a course towards, be bound for, set out for, make a beeline for, take to
      1. 1.1Approach (someone) to attack them.
        Example sentencesExamples
        • He pushed forward and made for the woman with the guitar.
        • He grunted in anger and made for them again, and Mike pushed him back once more.
        • He began to heave the books at her, and when he ran out of books she made for him again.

    • 2Tend to result in or be received as (a particular thing)

      job descriptions never make for exciting reading
      Example sentencesExamples
      • This makes for comic and moving moments in a deep-thinking, pertinent play that is both heavy and light on the heart.
      • She had moved to Berlin a year before and it made for difficult rehearsals.
      • It was a rousing affair, moving, positively exasperating, and alone would make for a concert not to be missed.
      • It makes for a strangely moving scene, despite or because of the hum of the nearby freeways.
      • We need less hostility, folks, and obeying the laws of the road can go a long way towards making for a peaceful existence.
      • Yet he is aware of the monster that he has become and begins a journey towards redemption that makes for a fascinating movie.
      • The approach doesn't make for a perfect album, but it's a lovely one nonetheless.
      • It makes for harrowing viewing, moving you to anger and tears.
      • Really good vocals, some class songwriters and superb musicianship make for an enjoyable and moving album.
      • How the alliance began towards the end of last year and how it evolved makes for a fascinating story.
      Synonyms
      contribute to, be conducive to, produce, promote, facilitate, further, advance, forward, foster, favour

    • 3Be eminently suited for (a particular function or person)

      a man made for action
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The second of the two links is the sort of collaborative project that the internet was made for.
      • That's what Las Vegas was made for, to get illegal money back into circulation again.
      • This is one of those applications that PDAs were made for, but whether stores will want to install extra hardware for users remains to be seen.
      • It is a position that the reigning world and European champion was made for: being right; being the best.
      • What I experienced during that year enabled me to discover what I was made for.
      • Have you ever felt like there was one person in this world you were made for?
      • Guessing how a hydrogen bomb might be built was what Teller's intellectual talents were made for.
      • No, it's no good, I have yet to discover what Bank holidays were made for.
      • Because they worked at this - at whatever it was, the one thing they were made for.
      • After two years Arnold sacked her, for her own good, forcing her to join the National Film School and set out on the career she was made for.
      • This is much better than the arms folded brigade stood there nodding appreciatively - this is what music was made for.

  • make something of

    • 1Give a specified amount of attention or importance to.

      he makes little of America's low investment rates
      Example sentencesExamples
      • They have made much of the fact that their currency is the oldest in the world.
      • MacDowell is well aware of all of this, but makes too little of these interrelated developments.
      • I don't understand why nothing was made of my case.
      • Few artists have ever made more of their ethnic and cultural origins than Toledo.
      1. 1.1Understand the meaning or character of.
        he wasn't sure what to make of Sue
        Example sentencesExamples
        • What do you make of the talk-show aspect of this campaign?
        • Hey, don't tell me what to make of your music.
        • What does she make of the success of this student-run farm?
        • Your son explained to me many things about Buddhism and enlightenment, but frankly I can't make anything of it.

  • make off

    • Leave hurriedly, especially in order to avoid duty or punishment.

      they made off without paying
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He added: ‘We need to trace anyone who saw the assault, or the suspect making off.’
      • This time the men stole jewellery and money before making off towards the town centre.
      • Terrified workers fled into a store room at the sight of the men who ransacked the cash till and safe before making off.
      • He also admitted making off without paying a £22 taxi fare.
      • The warning follows a number of incidents in which members of the public have made off from taxis without paying their fares.
      • He eventually came to a stop in Chestnut Avenue, and tried to make off on foot, but he was surrounded by officers.
      • The man took hold of the woman's handbag and dragged her to the floor before making off on foot.
      • He was seen kicking her on the ground, before making off in the direction of Clapham Old Town.
      • The robber stole cash before making off on foot and turning left in the direction of Braintree.
      • The father-of-two said he had seen the criminals making off down the cycle path.
      Synonyms
      run away, run off, take to one's heels, beat a hasty retreat, flee, make one's getaway, make a quick exit, make a run for it, run for it, take off, take flight, bolt, fly, make oneself scarce, leave, abscond, decamp, do a disappearing act

  • make off with

    • Carry (something) away illicitly.

      burglars made off with all their wedding presents
      Example sentencesExamples
      • A thief made off with nearly £1000 from the homes of two elderly women in Chelmsford last week.
      • She said that the salon already had internal shutters which did not stop thieves making off with £8,000 worth of stock.
      • Thieves made off with a couple of masterpieces while museum-goers watched in disbelief.
      • The two intruders made off with a hi-fi and other electrical equipment.
      • A straw hat-wearing robber made off with £12,000 after threatening a woman with a knife.
      • Burglars made off with a haul of antiques worth thousands of pounds in two raids in Broad Town.
      • Burglars made off with around £5,000 in cash after breaking in to a Kendal hotel safe.
      • They plan to rob a cash transport truck carrying $2,000,000, but Sami foils the heist and makes off with the money.
      • Police reported a slew of burglaries in which the culprits entered homes while occupants slept, stealing whatever they could make off with.
      • Her mysterious assailant made off with the cash and a stale Danish pastry.
      Synonyms
      take, steal, purloin, pilfer, abscond with, appropriate, run away with, run off with, carry off, snatch

  • make out

    • 1Make progress; fare.

      how are you making out, now that the summer's over?
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Newton, who took on the biggest risk back in 1984, made out pretty well, too.
      • I would love to hear from them, see how they've made out, try to pick up where we left off, and thank them.
      • It'll be interesting to see how the original director makes out in the wake of the Dawn of the Dead remake.
      Synonyms
      get on, get along, fare, do, proceed, go, progress, manage, survive, cope, get by

    • 2Engage in sexual activity.

      teenagers were making out on the couch
      Ernie was making out with Berenice
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He seemed too interested in making out with her than actually talking about what had happened.
      • When we play people are making out all over the place and I'm happy that we're sending out a sexual vibe when we play.
      • Or it could turn out that you get bored with the movie and wind up making out on the couch.
      • There were dozens of times when I had walked into a room only to find him making out with some random chick.
      • She sneaks out of the house, steals her mother's car, shoplifts, and makes out with a guy she met at a bar.
      • She and her boyfriend were photographed making out on a yacht.
      • He goes around making out with a bunch of other girls trying to find a replacement for me!
      • She'd come into his room and found him making out with one of the cheerleaders at her school.
      • He has taken her for several dates downtown where they have been making out at every opportunity.
      • When you break up with a guy, you're not supposed to keep making out after!
      Synonyms
      make love, have sex, have sexual intercourse

  • make someone/something out

    • 1Manage with some difficulty to see or hear something.

      in the dim light it was difficult to make out the illustration
      Example sentencesExamples
      • His voice became faint to her, and her vision blurry, but as she could no longer make him out or hear his voice she couldn't tell what he said.
      • He squinted at it, trying hard to make it out in the dark.
      • Out comes the first yellow card of the afternoon from referee Codjia, although it's hard to make the card out against his rather bright get-up.
      • The blurriness in his eyes made it difficult to read but eventually he managed to make it out.
      • My guess is that this object was at a very high altitude, because even using a zoom lens it was hard to make the shape out.
      • Downstairs, in the gloom, you can just make out the figures of two large men.
      • I squint through the glare of the floodlights and struggle to make her out in the window.
      • It was difficult to make them out though as their faces seemed to shine so brightly.
      • I didn't know what I was saying, because I couldn't hear it or make it out, but I saw Jason walk up again, and again he was crying.
      • Even at 200 feet, it was extremely hard to make them out.
      Synonyms
      see, discern, distinguish, perceive, pick out, detect, notice, observe, recognize, catch sight of, glimpse, discover
      understand, comprehend, follow, grasp, fathom, work out, figure out, make sense of, interpret, decipher, make head or tail of, get, get the drift of, catch
      1. 1.1Understand the character or motivation of.
        I can't make her out—she's so inconsistent
        Example sentencesExamples
        • It's difficult to make Jason out because he was fine in Australia's first round match at the beginning of the week.
        • He clearly feels protective of her, but she can't make him out: is he a fantastic copper or just a complete nutter?
        Synonyms
        demonstrate, show to be true, establish, substantiate, prove, verify, validate, authenticate, corroborate

    • 2with infinitive or clauseAssert; represent.

      I'm not as bad as I'm made out to be
      Example sentencesExamples
      • While things are not perfect, they are not quite as black and white as many are making out.
      • Flanagan writes with verve and vim, but she's not as single-minded as her critics make her out to be.
      • It is not as difficult as you first make it out to be.
      • I don't think the set-piece is as bad as some people seem to be making out.
      • Oddly enough, however, finding and being admitted into the right school does not have to be as difficult as many people make it out to be.
      • Knowing now some of the unspeakable horrors that other children went through it is difficult to make him out as anything other than firm but fair.
      • In our very hearing you make him out to be a traitor!
      • Shields insists things were never as bad as people make out.
      • Going after a man, explains Baisden, isn't as hard as people make it out to be.
      • We are bright, intelligent people, not simply the stiletto-wearing bimbos that you make us out to be.
      • It's pretty funny, because the more they make us out to be freaks, the more I learn they're pretty much like us.
      1. 2.1Try to give a specified impression; pretend.
        he made out he was leaving
        Example sentencesExamples
        • It would be fairly ridiculous to go around making out that writing poems was what I was doing with my life all the time.
        • He just slowly edges up to me, making out like he is just snuggling up.
        • I made out I was a big time player, willing to provide some funding in return for a cut of the action.
        • Anyway, at the end of the discussion Robbie was making out that they had settled everything.
        • He makes out that he's sick, so Dan immediately decides to can the trip (much to his fiancée's chagrin).
        • He regularly humiliates dinner-party guests and makes out that his cellphone is on the blink to end dull conversations.
        • When I challenge him to stop getting sarky, he acts all hurt and makes out he never even realised he was doing what he was doing, but I'm not so sure about that.
        • This is the sound of someone losing the plot - making out that they're okay when they're not.
        • Michael made out he didn't hear him.
        • We had half a page in the local paper, who made out they had discovered the whole story.
        Synonyms
        feign, pretend, give the impression, make a pretence of, make a show of, affect, feint, make out
        allege, claim, assert, declare, maintain, affirm, aver, suggest, imply, hint, insinuate, indicate, intimate, impute, make as if, make as though, pretend

    • 3Draw up or write out a list or document.

      send a cheque made out to Trinity College
      Example sentencesExamples
      • According to National Health Insurance Bureau records from 2000, 3 million prescriptions were made out to 50,000 patients over the course of a year.
      • The contract of carriage shall be confirmed by the making out of a consignment note.
      • The net result is that every year a cheque is made out to the Leukaemia Unit at St James' Hospital.
      • When she made out her application, she received offers from universities including Lancaster, but she refused because she was set on going to Oxford.
      • It's claimed that he's altered checks made out to his charitable organisation.
      • The bill is sent to the bank, and a copy to us, and we never have to make out a check or deal with a creditor.
      • The date span of the cheques overlaps the latter period of the invoices and they are made out to the corporate defendant.
      • It looks like Charlotte made the list out for her.
      • It is understood that three bank drafts were made out to ‘bearer’ for £25,000 each.
      • He expects the tax office will refuse to accept the cheque, because of who it is made out to, and says his campaign will carry on.
      Synonyms
      formulate, frame, draw up, devise, make out, prepare, compile, compose, put together
      write out, fill out, fill in, complete, draw up, draft, inscribe

  • make someone over

    • Give someone a new image with hairstyling, make-up, or clothes.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Paul Rudd plays Adam, a nerdy undergrad who falls for Evelyn, an iconoclastic art student hellbent on making him over.
      • My hair is a dirty-dishwater color,’ wrote Hope, in giving us reasons to make her over.
      • Rarely did I ever let Sarah make me over but when she did I was always amazed at her power to erase all the little flaws that made me self-conscious at times.
      • The whole group is coming over to my house to make me over.
      • ‘We're going to make you over,’ Kendall said, sitting me down in a chair.
      • The team will pick audience members and make them over, sharing their expertise and tricks of the trade.
      • Wilma makes Fred over as a smooth Casanova, but when it goes to his head, she decides she likes him better the way he was.
      • Its angle is to take a group of plain Janes, make them over into glamour girls, and then have them all take part in a season-ending beauty pageant.
      • Agents are experts at recognizing raw talents but may make you over to fit with the look of the moment.
      • Didn't Jess and I do a good job in making her over, Scott?

  • make something over

    • Transfer the possession of something to someone.

      if he dies childless he is to make over his share of the estate to his brother
      Example sentencesExamples
      • You have the property, you are living in the property, you have not made anything over to your former partner, nor your children.
      • A century later, two neighbouring estates were amalgamated, creating a marvel of vistas and architecture which was eventually made over to the nation in 1841.
      • The property would not be made over to Mr Kirk, but on the other hand must be made safe for Thomas and his family.
      Synonyms
      transfer, sign over, turn over, hand over, hand on, give, hand down, leave, bequeath, bestow, pass on, devolve, transmit, cede, deliver, assign, consign, convey, entrust

  • make up

    • Be reconciled after a quarrel.

      let's kiss and make up
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Here are some really great ideas on making up with your sweetheart after an argument.
      • The wealthy couple were later seen having a lover's tiff before kissing and making up on the dance floor.
      • As Paul and Heather prepare to do battle, another celebrity is apparently kissing and making up.
      • So big-hearted Melvyn bought Al a slap-up lunch the other day to kiss and make up.
      • I think she has it in her head that if she gets us all in the same room we'll crack and kiss and make up.
      • At the end of it all, you swap shirts, shake hands, make up and go home.
      • She says she has kissed and made up with Nigel, and the reunion was a fun night.
      • She trails kisses up his neck and soon the two are making up in the kitchen tangled around each other.
      • I'd have no chance of creating an even bigger rift between them if they kissed and made up.
      • They argue almost constantly, only stopping occasionally to hug and kiss and pretend to make up.
      Synonyms
      be friends again, bury the hatchet, declare a truce, make peace, forgive and forget, shake hands, become reconciled, settle one's differences, mend fences, call it quits

  • make someone up

    • Apply cosmetics to oneself or another.

      heavily made-up women in short skirts
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Jacobs was made up to look like the former wrestling champion.
      • After she had finished making up her mother's face, Caroline smiled at her young daughter.
      • My several floor mates took me to the kitchenette and then they made me up for the drag night.
      • Tony, a couple of months ago, you made me up and made me look like somebody else.
      • With the help of fellow female team members, Adam was made up and dressed up for the strut down the catwalk.
      • She's made-up and luminous in all black, and her husband is sitting close to her.
      Synonyms
      apply cosmetics to, apply make-up to, powder, rouge

  • make something up

    • 1Compensate for something lost, missed, or deficient.

      I'll make up the time tomorrow
      Example sentencesExamples
      • They exchange books and movies and are doing their best to make up for all the lost years.
      • In later years, she made up for this lost time, never missing an opportunity to add to her infamy.
      • To make up for the lost sleep, he sleeps to the full on weekends, getting up after noon.
      • So tourist businesses should now be thinking of ways of making up for lost business.
      • At 28 he knows he is supposed to be in his prime and he knows there is a lot of lost time to make up for.
      • The White House has said he transferred to the Alabama Guard and missed some duty but made it up later.
      • But a spokesman for the firm said it was confident the lost time could be made up and the scheme would finish by the scheduled date.
      • Did this mean, he asked, that the disabled were being taxed to make up for the city's lost revenue?
      • The pool is very flexible - they have a direct debit scheme that means if the children are ill and miss lessons you can make them up later.
      • And that means we can either raise prices to cover the lost revenue, or lower prices and hope to make it up on volume.
      Synonyms
      atone for, make amends for, compensate for, make recompense for, make reparation for, make redress for, make restitution for, expiate
      offset, counterbalance, counterweigh, counteract, compensate for
      1. 1.1Compensate someone for negligent or unfair treatment.
        I'll try to make it up to you in the future
        Example sentencesExamples
        • This week he's making it up to her by buying her flowers at Rachael's suggestion.
        • When I asked her what I could do to make it up to her, she said, Write me a poem.
        • Not that I was making it up to her or anything, but I went into the Department Store and got her a present.
        • He knows we don't see eye to eye on hunting so he makes it up to me by just being as kind and thoughtful about animal issues as possible around me.
        • Let her know you're bugged, and give her the opportunity to make it up to you.
        • We ended up making it up to Casey by taking her hiking twice and camping at the beach later in the month.
        • We want to try to make it up to our subscribers for the anxiety and the hassle of having to exchange their tickets.
        • Trying to ignore Darci as she made her pitiful attempts to make it up with Sarah, and Kane and his all too happy attitude.
        • By making it up to the person who was hurt, we make victims of the person all over again by saying that they should not have been hurt by what happened.
        • I am extremely angry about this and will make it up to you.
        • I will do everything I can to make it up to them, but I know that no amount of compensation is enough.
        Synonyms
        compensate, recompense, indemnify, make it up to, repay, reimburse, pay back

    • 2(of parts) compose or constitute (a whole)

      women make up 56 per cent of the student body
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Whole galaxies, made up of hundreds of billions of stars, can produce greater effects though.
      • The Terrace was made up of Victorian houses built in 1891 for the clerks in Henshaw's mill, which was powered by the Dodder.
      • If water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen, why can't we breathe underwater?
      • There had been speculation that Division One would be made up of 10 teams as opposed to the past season's 12 divided into two groups of five.
      • Amino acids are the fundamental building blocks of life, making up the proteins which constitute all living cells.
      • One of our first steps has been to establish a cycling development team made up of officers from all areas of the council.
      • The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
      • The only marks in the composition are geometric shapes made up of thin lines that seem to be carved into the paint.
      • A lot of different aspects make up the constitution of a football player.
      • Obviously, the film is as much about the boys who make up the team as their coach.
      Synonyms
      comprise, form, compose, constitute, account for
      1. 2.1Complete an amount or group.
        he brought along a girl to make up a foursome
        Example sentencesExamples
        • The tax relief on pension is generous: for every 78p you pay into a pension, the government makes it up to £1.
        • Recovering from injury, she stood in goal one night at training to make up a team and hasn't been released since.
        • Including a bottle of Pellegrino, the bill came to a modest €69.80 and I rather gauchely made it up to €79.30.
        • The venture has proved so popular that there are enough students taking part in training to make up two teams.
        • You can spend more than this amount if you wish, though obviously you'll be making up the difference yourself.
        • The rate has to increase by an extra amount the following year to make up the shortfall.
        • The rest of the budget deficit will be made up by increases in the council tax precept and by using cash reserves.
        • To be honest, I felt sure I was there to make up the numbers and I was quite happy to do so.
        • My money limit for a round of golf depends on who makes up the rest of the foursome.
        • Allithwaite were two players short so Ambleside made up their team.
        Synonyms
        complete, round off, finish

    • 3Put together or prepare something from parts or ingredients.

      make up the mortar to a consistency that can be moulded in the hands
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Good ales are made up of many of the same ingredients which are in great bread.
      • Shortly before the Jubilee weekend, I was joking about having a t-shirt made up.
      • We subsequently found out that the Austrian and German menu items are made up locally by an expert using genuine ingredients and traditional recipes.
      • I make up a cocktail of vitamins and minerals and feed this to the shrimps.
      • I rushed home, quickly made up 6 mixes of bait, and returning to the lake put the whole lot in where I'd seen the fish.
      Synonyms
      prepare, mix, concoct, put together
      1. 3.1Get an amount or group together.
        he was trying to make up a party to go dancing
        Example sentencesExamples
        • To make up a team, Alsager teacher Lindsay Purcell recruited a number of footballers.
        • All you need to do is to make up a team of six to eight, give yourself a catchy name and come along to test your wits and enjoy yourselves!
        • Local organisations and individuals are invited to make up teams of four.
        • Searching for coins, they made the sum up between them.
        • Anyone unable to get a full team together can also turn up to make up more teams on the night.
      2. 3.2Prepare a bed for use with fresh bedclothes.
        Example sentencesExamples
        • I returned to my room to find that Marcie had already made the beds up and returned the room to its daytime configuration.
        • Nurses made certain that the patients' beds were made up with fresh linen and blankets, and they offered sedatives or aspirin to patients who were uncomfortable.
      3. 3.3Arrange text and illustrations into pages.
        Example sentencesExamples
        • I can make pages up, scan images in and all sorts of clever things.

    • 4Invent a story, lie, or plan.

      she enjoyed making up tall tales
      a made-up story
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The narrator explains that all these stories are made up, but they are true anyway, because they explain what Vietnam was like.
      • He went on to claim that she had made the whole story up to frame him in an elaborate ruse as revenge for his affair.
      • While the paper had tape recorded the entire tale on Thursday, the reporter could not reach the student for comment after he admitted making up the story.
      • I don't think such an outrageous story could be made up.
      • When I got home my parents didn't believe me and said that I had made the whole story up.
      • I'm guessing you were making it up to illustrate your point.
      • In fact they think I just made the whole story up to get out of trouble.
      • The details, facts and common sense, however, just get in the way of the easy story, so they make it up as they go and figure we're too stupid to know it.
      • Most of what is in the story is made up but every once in a while there will pop up something that really happened.
      • Under cross examination by Louise Blackwell, defending, Miss X denied making her account up.
      • I still don't know if he was making the whole thing up or not, but it's the kind of story you desperately want to be true.
      Synonyms
      invent, fabricate, concoct, dream up, think up, hatch, trump up

  • make up to

    • Attempt to win the favour of (someone) by being pleasant.

      you can't go on about morals when you're making up to Adam like that
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I bet she was making up to the master.
      • Harry made up to her shamelessly.
      Synonyms
      flirt with, chase after, run after, pursue, make romantic advances to, court, woo, vamp

  • make with

    • Proceed to use or supply.

      make with the feet, honey—you're embarrassing Jim
      Example sentencesExamples
      • You've tried to kill our friends and you've threatened us, but now you're trying to make with the friendly talk.
      • Read these impassioned pleas for the plus and the minus, then roll on down to the foot of the page and make with the voting.
      • The sunset was making with the umbrella-drink colors, the low-rent-tropical stuff.
      • If you would like to compare and contrast how he looked three weeks ago, make with the clicking on this here link.
      • Read the for and against, then make with the cyber-thumbs-up-or-down at the foot of the page.

Derivatives

  • makeable

    • adjective
    • The ball should bounce a couple of times, then brake, leaving you a makable putt.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Goalkicker Nick Hogan actually missed with another three eminently makeable efforts.
      • However, the balls hit to him have been makeable plays.
      • But countless makeable plays have gone unmade and been ruled hits by generous official scorers.
      • Setta missed on a makeable field goal shot which in the end would have had the score tied.

Origin

Old English macian, of West Germanic origin, from a base meaning 'fitting'; related to match1.

  • match from Old English:

    Match in the sense ‘be the same as’ comes from an Old English word meaning ‘mate, companion’ which probably goes back to the same root as Old English make. Use of the word to mean ‘contest, competitive trial’ dates from the early 16th century. The match associated with fire was first used to mean ‘candle wick’. It is from Old French meche, perhaps from Latin myxa meaning ‘spout of a lamp, lamp wick’. The wooden match we are familiar with today dates from the early 19th century.

Rhymes

ache, awake, bake, betake, Blake, brake, break, cake, crake, drake, fake, flake, forsake, hake, Jake, lake, mistake, opaque, partake, quake, rake, sake, shake, sheikh, slake, snake, splake, stake, steak, strake, take, undertake, wake, wideawake
verb.1
phr.
phr.v.
 
 

Definition of make in US English:

make

verbmeɪkmāk
[with object]

  • 1Form (something) by putting parts together or combining substances; construct; create.

    my grandmother made a dress for me
    baseball bats are made of ash
    the body is made from four pieces of maple
    Example sentencesExamples
    • You should see the size of the chandeliers here, they must have been made specially.
    • The body is made of millions of cells, most of them linked together to form tissues.
    • He followed this by sitting down and making a besom - a brush made from birch twigs.
    • His famous vacuum cleaner is made from clear plastic, allowing the owner to see all of the working parts.
    • The joke, of course, is that the toothbrush is made out of even harder plastic than the packaging.
    • He was making something out of a piece of scrap wood.
    • The pommel by and large defines the date of the sword and the site where it was most likely to have been made.
    • The West Indian sauce is made from the exceedingly hot scotch bonnet pepper.
    • To celebrate their last day youngsters made their own decorated hats to wear for the occasion.
    • We take our water and mix it with malted barley or grain to make a drink called whisky.
    • A lab that annually makes or uses 100g or more of these chemicals must declare them.
    • The propeller is made of extruded, glass-filled nylon and is the usual propeller shape.
    • The remaining aircraft will be brought back into service as new hubs are made.
    • To begin to understand how any wine is made we must first look at the composition of the grape.
    • A silage heap surrounded by the bales also caught fire and a fire break was made using a mechanical digger.
    • Fleece is made from polyester and is designed to feel soft, warm and elastic.
    • The roof is made of high quality fabric, and when tucked away, folds into three layers on top of one another.
    • At the moment he is only using what he can make from domestically available materials.
    • His house was made of mud and had been almost wiped out, but his fence was perfect.
    • All the great white wines are made from Chardonnay, all the great reds from Pinot Noir.
    Synonyms
    construct, build, assemble, put together, manufacture, produce, fabricate, create, form, fashion, model, mould, shape, forge, bring into existence
    1. 1.1make something into Alter something so that it forms or constitutes (something else)
      buffalo's milk can be made into cheese
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Jane Austen and William Shakespeare are the two that come to mind immediately, as their works have been made into mostly excellent films.
      • Glass is sent to the British Glass Recycling Company in Alloa, where it is made into new bottles and jars.
      • All the raw materials go to the liver and the liver makes use of those and makes them into proteins.
      • He admits that the theatre production has precipitated a renewed interest in making the complex story into a film.
      • It is highly recyclable and is gathered and sold to mainland markets where it is made into new boxes.
      • During the second step the plant uses the nitrogen compounds and makes them into protein.
      • Today, oil is pumped from underground oil-filled rock and sent to a refinery where it is made into gasoline.
      • The Danes are allowed a quota of over a million tonnes of fish a year to be made into fish meal.
      • Elephant grass is commonly used in a cut-and-carry system, feeding it in stalls, or it is made into silage.
      • The collected herbs were sent to drug companies, which made them into botanic drugs.
      • Now the famous story has been made into a film for television, which is being shown on ITV this month.
      • By refusing to accept conventional boundaries, this film makes the ordinary into something wonderful.
      • Harling admits he is excited at the challenge of making the classic show into a film.
      • With his vision, Schumacher made a straightforward story into one of the best psychological thrillers in some time.
      • It's not often that a Los Angeles film company phones to ask if they can make your novel into a film.
      • It essentially takes a series of complex operations and makes them into a single command.
      • We would like the public to see how the milk is produced, what different things it can be made into.
      • She and her sister ironed the photos onto squares of fabric and made them into a quilt for their mother.
      • Now, when Jesus made the water into wine at the wedding, that's a story.
      • If you took all the trees in the world and made them into boxes of matches how many boxes would you have?
      Synonyms
      formulate, draw up, write, frame, draft, form, enact, pass, lay down, establish, institute, found, originate
    2. 1.2 Compose, prepare, or draw up (something written or abstract)
      she made her will
      Example sentencesExamples
      • What would be great is if everybody pooled their images and made a new book.
      • He also plays electronic music and writes and makes his own short films.
      • Videos were made of their activities and circulated to members.
      • This film has been made by the guy who gave us The Lawnmower Man and Rush Hour.
      • Will they make a CD of those songs from the show?
      • Before talking to the family, make a list of the points you want to discuss.
      • The issue of making a Constitution that will stand the test of time is neither here nor there.
      • Having found this new shorter format so captivating I set about making my own short film.
      • He has made many recordings as a trumpet soloist; this is my first encounter with him as a conductor.
      • Although I've made a will, it didn't even occur to me at the time to leave anything to charity.
      • Congress, under the Constitution, is the body that makes laws and regulations governing the armed forces.
      • The film is expected to be released by next year and is being made by Titan films.
      • The film will be made in conjunction with the website Moving South and the Hayward Gallery.
      • The international cooperation needed to make such a film must be unprecedented.
      • It is reported that the couple want to make a Hollywood film of their story.
      • She made a list of supplies and groceries and stared at the balance in her checkbook.
      • Just about every tenor has made recordings similar to these, and there's no reason why Domingo shouldn't follow the pack.
      • She had to pose for photographs and drawings were made from the pictures.
      • The chosen man was instructed to make a will and briefed on how he would die.
      • I was helping a friend work on a video she was making, a very abstract adaptation of that play.
      Synonyms
      formulate, frame, draw up, devise, make out, prepare, compile, compose, put together
      formulate, draw up, write, frame, draft, form, enact, pass, lay down, establish, institute, found, originate
    3. 1.3 Prepare (a dish, drink, or meal) for consumption.
      she was making lunch for Lucy and Francis
      with two objects I'll make us both a cup of tea
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Sam had taught her to make a few basic meals and she had found that she rather enjoyed cooking.
      • CJ told me on the phone yesterday that he'd made himself a meal of tikka masala sauce.
      • We set up our trusty camp-cooker in the empty kitchen and made coffee which we drank outside.
      • Fear not, I have a quick and simple meal that you can make that they'll think you bought!
      • I came in a little late for the pork chop dish he was making, but I saw enough to want to give it a try.
      • These guys can make all these non-veg dishes using soya, mushrooms and beancurd.
      • This means having food ready in the freezer to whip out and reheat, or dishes that can be made in advance and kept warm.
      • It is one of the few dishes I make that he eats without asking for extra anchovies.
      • I had to cook something I could make after work, and I had an old electric range with only two rings working.
      • She goes off and makes a hot drink, carefully adds ice cubes to stop it being too hot, and brings it upstairs.
      • I was exhausted when I got to Neil's, but looking forward to the lovely chicken he'd made for dinner.
      • She turned to make herself a drink, and was surprised to find the coffee jar almost empty.
      • The new café has expanded on its old range with more meals made to order and Mediterranean platters.
      • Rose left Karrie to making the drinks, and came over to sit on the sofa at the other end to her husband.
      • Who is the man who makes a complicated French dish and videotapes it at the same time?
      • Emily came back an hour ago, stating that she was going to make everyone lunch.
      • He got fruit ready for my lunch and made my breakfast.
      • This dark, spicy, autumnal dish can be made two or three days in advance and kept in the fridge.
      • I got back in time to make a big vegetable curry which will last many days.
      • I find the flesh of the sweet potato makes a lovely smooth gnocchi so I often make this dish for supper.
      Synonyms
      prepare, get ready, put together, concoct, cook, dish up, throw together, whip up, brew
    4. 1.4 Arrange bedclothes tidily on (a bed) ready for use.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • According the comments, I don't know how to make a bed properly.
      • She made the bed over again, turning the sheets and pillowcases inside out and fluffing the pillows.
      • She used to have to make 18 beds every morning.
      • There was a double bed, made nicely and a bedside table with a small lamp and alarm clock.
    5. 1.5 Arrange and light materials for (a fire).
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Dad used to make a big deal about getting the fireworks, while Chris and I made a bonfire.
      • Some years ago I met up with an estate agent who loved making fires.
      • They left the car by the side of the road, and ventured a bit into the forest, where they made a fire.
    6. 1.6Electronics Complete or close (a circuit).
      Example sentencesExamples
      • We connect components together with wires or copper tracks to make circuits, but it's the components that do all the work.

  • 2Cause (something) to exist or come about; bring about.

    the drips had made a pool on the floor
    Example sentencesExamples
    • A cut is made through the wall of the abdomen to one side of the main incision.
    • The door swung open and a flurry of snow came in and quickly started to make pools on the floor.
    • Brian went to hand the comic back but then brought his other hand up and made a small tear on the front cover.
    • He kicked a car once and made a dent.
    • If you've only got a few leaves then you can sling them in a bin bag, make a few air holes in it, tie up the top and leave it for a year or so.
    • The surgeon will make a cut (incision) in your lower abdomen and remove your appendix.
    • The showroom also has on display some cedar wood carvings which artists have made after a visit to Africa.
    • Slowly the rock began to move, until a space big enough for Tyler to fit through was made.
    • He makes sculptures out of clay and bakes them into ceramics in his hometown in Shandong Province.
    • I gave a hammer to one of the men so he could try and make a hole in the glass to give us some air.
    • With a sharp instrument or nail, make marks in the doors at these two points.
    • To take a peep at what lies beneath that large, flat expanse of ice, you must first make your ice hole, or maina.
    Synonyms
    cause, create, give rise to, produce, bring about, generate, engender, occasion, effect, set up, establish, institute, found, develop, originate, frame
    1. 2.1with object and complement or infinitive Cause to become or seem.
      decorative features make brickwork more interesting
      the best way to disarm your critics is to make them laugh
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Oil heated past its smoke point usually emits a bluish smoke and makes food taste burnt.
      • This is not the kind of speech to make a deeply unpopular leader any more popular.
      • The meeting also heard of the problems and costs related to making the village's existing memorials safe.
      • All credit to them for improving our Christmas lights and making Keighley very colourful.
      • The decision makes her eligible for parole after serving only half, rather than two thirds, of her sentence.
      • One of the steps in making my flat ready for sale is the redecoration of the entire place.
      • If this bald truth makes any one of us feel uncomfortable, we can take some solace in knowing we are not the only species to exploit the lie.
      • Drew laughed softly to herself, a laugh that made Devlin wonder if she was laughing at him.
      • The river was low and clear with good light making everything clearly visible.
      • It is a means to an end and exists to make life that little bit easier.
      • The strong cast is what makes this sometimes mediocre material work as well as it does.
      • Work has been under way in recent weeks to make Walmgate ready for the changes.
      • The ultimate aim is to spread the message of laughter, by making others laugh and become happy.
      • So I grew my hair very long, took up smoking and tried my hardest to make everyone laugh.
      • With the first Toy Story film our idea was that toys are made to be played with, that they exist to make children happy.
      • The council is now looking for new sponsors to come on board to join existing ones and help make the show a huge success.
      • Every time I saw his face, it made my loss all the keener.
      • The other physics teacher, Mr. Meyer, actually makes the class interesting.
      • The steering is light and makes the car very easy to place and manoeuvre around tight spaces.
      • The blend of old and new features makes this a stylish home with character.
    2. 2.2 Carry out, perform, or produce (a specified action, movement, or sound)
      anyone can make a mistake
      Unger made a speech of forty minutes
      we made a deal
      Example sentencesExamples
      • An unsuccessful attempt had also been made to set fire to the main shop building.
      • He moved towards me quietly, his eyes fixed on mine, his footsteps making no sound on the tiled floor.
      • It depends on what kind of deliberation we expect out of the candidates over the coming weeks and the decisions they make after they're elected.
      • After all, this is a area where subjective judgements are often made behind closed doors.
      • Sounds to me like you need to make a good few trips to your local charity shop.
      • Officers made one arrest and a dog-handling unit was brought in to assist the hunt for others.
      • Paul makes a long boring speech, telling everyone to side with commercial development.
      • The announcement was made after a proposal from the mayor at the town council meeting on Tuesday.
      • Business is so good that Yuen and her partner have to make trips twice a week to bring in new stock.
      • We are trying to get them done as speedily as we can and making every effort to bring them to a quick conclusion.
      • They are against the Bill and hope to make changes before it reaches its final reading.
      • Perez declared flatly that he had made a mistake bringing Queiroz to the club in the first place.
      • No decision had yet been made on whether to expand the use of such cameras, he said.
      • A spokesman said the changes had been made after the company had taken on board comments at a public meeting about the original proposals.
      • A decision has yet to be made over whether Corbet Close will join the regeneration scheme.
      • I also think that the direct service components in particular help us keep perspective in the choices that we make after we're finished in college.
      • There is no opening speech from the prosecution and neither side makes closing speeches.
      • My shoes made a soft crunching sound as they crushed the dry, brown grass beneath them.
      • Several arrests were made after officers found campers carrying weapons.
      • There is a famous tradition of creative breakthroughs being made after a good night's sleep.
      • There are two critical mistakes an organization can make after an attack that can compromise a successful forensic investigation.
      Synonyms
      cause, create, give rise to, produce, bring about, generate, engender, occasion, effect, set up, establish, institute, found, develop, originate, frame
      perform, execute, give, do, accomplish, achieve, bring off, carry out, effect, practise, engage in, commit, act, prosecute
      perpetrate, commit, be responsible for, be guilty of, be to blame for
      utter, give, deliver, give voice to, enunciate, recite, pronounce
    3. 2.3 Communicate or express (an idea, request, or requirement)
      with two objects make him an offer he can't refuse
      I tend to make heavy demands on people
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Such a person can be held for six months, then another six, and another, as long as the request is made.
      • It has been an interesting experience and I have a few observations to make after years of reader feedback.
      • When an offer was made, even though the union considered it to be an insult, the union did not put it to a vote.
      • Reportedly, he's close to a deal with the Giants, while the Yankees have yet to make an offer.
      • I was born and bred in Liverpool and I have to say that I agree with the comments made in The Spectator.
      • She said he requested the ministry to make such an inquiry in one case last November.
      • Two senators have complained that you made derogatory remarks about them, and they're asking that you tone it down.
      • One can only imagine the offers and entreaties made to screenwriter Simon Beaufoy.
      • I'm not crazy about the title, but Denning does make some very interesting points.
      • He made his remarks in a BBC interview earlier this week.
      • In this post, he makes some very interesting and intelligent remarks about underage drinking.
      • The council hopes neighbours will work at reaching a settlement before making a formal complaint.
      • How kind of you to take the trouble to write and make such a tempting invite.
      • His competitiveness was legendary, and as hard as he was on himself, he made impossible demands on his son.
      • An official request has been made to the county council chairman for an extraordinary meeting.
      • I'm at a point right now that if somebody makes me an offer to sell out, I'm likely to listen.
      • If you do wish to make a brief closing comment, this is the point at which you have that opportunity.
      • But there is one response I do want to make after reading his article several times.
      • If the parties are unable to agree on costs, written submissions may be made to me.
      • There is one point that Mrs Wood makes that I cannot agree with, however.
      Synonyms
      utter, give, deliver, give voice to, enunciate, recite, pronounce
    4. 2.4archaic Enter into a contract of (marriage)
      a marriage made in heaven
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Monarchs disputed successions and made political marriages in a relentless campaign for empire.
      • For this is a marriage made in heaven which will surely end in an ugly, emotional divorce.
      • After making a marriage of convenience with a tiresome Duke, she elopes to Europe with her cousin.
      • We want our marriage to be recognised as a marriage - just like any other marriage made in Canada.
      • If body language was anything to go by, this was indeed a marriage made in heaven.
    5. 2.5with object and complement Appoint or designate (someone) to a position.
      he was made a colonel in the Mexican army
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He became a prominent supporter of Abraham Lincoln, was made a general in the Civil War, and later became a US senator.
      • King George V made her a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1925.
      • Former Education Authority senior assistant director Gary Nethercott has also been made an assistant chief executive.
      • Henry II appointed him chancellor and made him his intimate friend and companion.
      • The Dutchman kept Mourinho on his staff, later making him his number 2.
      Synonyms
      appoint, designate, name, nominate, select, elect, vote in, install, place, post
    6. 2.6with object and complement Represent or cause to appear in a specified way.
      the sale price and extended warranty make it an excellent value
      Example sentencesExamples
      • We come through thinking that going out drinking makes you a big man.
      • Shut up, buddy: alcohol makes everything better, even pop punk.
      • Because of her obnoxious attitude Chaucer makes her toothless, fat and large.
      • Inconsequential as they sound, these trivial dilemmas and flaws have the effect of making the cast of characters very human.
      • A spokesman for Metro said work had to be done to make public transport a more attractive proposition.
      • You have to call it that now so you can identify with it, but it's just old ideas made new again.
      Synonyms
      be, act as, serve as, function as, constitute, perform the function of, do duty for, play the part of, represent, embody, form
    7. 2.7 Cause or ensure the success or advancement of.
      the work which really made Wordsworth's reputation
      Example sentencesExamples
      • But it wasn't the flashy rookies who made the show - it was the wily veterans.
      • A hearty soup with lots of vegetables, some rice or pasta and a little protein can make a meal.
      • You have time still, but you have become old enough for reputations to be made.

  • 3 Compel (someone) to do something.

    she bought me a brandy and made me drink it
    Example sentencesExamples
    • The image was too shocking to be used in any publicity designed to make drivers slow down.
    • Unfortunately, we had an awkward situation during the race that made us lose the position.
    • His editorials claim that the men had been made to stay in the open along with their wives and children despite the torrential rain.
    • Maybe this unexpected surge in sales might even make him reconsider his position.
    • When a certain group tried to make us give into pressure, they were chased away by the ones in power.
    • My parents kept goats when I was young, and they tried to make me drink the milk.
    • I haven't seen it before and try to make myself show some interest whilst cooking dinner.
    • Training didn't make me drink less, but it certainly made the hangovers less painful.
    • I once travelled in the back of a van and the girl driving made me lie flat on the floor to prevent any passing police seeing me.
    • If everyone is made to carry ID cards it will foster the idea that we are all under suspicion.
    • She was not happy about traveling because her mother always made her dress up.
    • Even big, subsidised companies have been made to juggle sponsorships and have success.
    • You guys made me drive all over LA because you spotted someone whom you thought was a celebrity.
    • He made me drink this glass of chalky, orangey liquid, insisting that it would make me feel better.
    • We were always being made to wait for appointments on the scanner at Scarborough.
    • His mother Jacqueline resorted to emotional blackmail to try to make him stop.
    • I'm really not proud of what we did to this kid, but peer pressure makes you do weird things.
    • So, tomorrow sees the start of looking at the reading list, and making myself go find books again.
    • They made me drive out to Verdun, took all my money, my car, and left me out on the street.
    • He directed me to get out of the car and made me walk a straight line.
    Synonyms
    force, compel, coerce, press, drive, pressure, pressurize, oblige, require

  • 4Constitute; amount to.

    they made an unusual duo
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Roughly eight million bits make a megabyte.
    • The diary makes a very interesting read, and the author has an admirable sense of humour.
    • The history of this fish and its value to Ireland makes an interesting and readable record.
    • It usually takes at least two or three people to order enough dishes to make a good Chinese meal.
    • The idea of Satan and God waging a bet makes a pretty interesting story.
    • This makes the third time I have started this letter and always something comes up to interfere with its writing.
    • Rachael and Stephanie make a mean sisterly duo on the hill rally circuit.
    • Tell them that one and one make two, and they'll insist it makes three.
    • This is true, interesting and important, but doesn't make much of a blog posting.
    • The results of the survey will make depressing reading for the company's beleaguered shareholders.
    • We made a pretty good team.
    Synonyms
    be, act as, serve as, function as, constitute, perform the function of, do duty for, play the part of, represent, embody, form
    1. 4.1 Serve as or become through development or adaptation.
      this fern makes a good houseplant
      Example sentencesExamples
      • In fact, as the months go by I have begun to see that Hilary would make a far finer wife than the errant Stella.
      • This image of A Cold Christmas Day would make a really fine Xmas card.
      • If there were more money in it, he would clearly have made an astute, if waspish critic.
      • The apple puff pancake makes a delightful brunch dish - or a unique supper dessert.
      • The Alsatian makes a fine herding animal and is a certain winner in obedience trials.
      • Now, at 10 months, she would make a fine family pet and could be quite happily kept in a garage.
      • With her long features and battered trilby, she also makes a plausibly boyish Ganymede.
      • I wish it were as light and soft as it looks; then it would make a really interesting new kind of mattress.
      • We didn't realise at the time that a car seat also makes a very fine rocking chair.
      • Baker makes an effective human hero and Adams an interesting ally.
      • This makes a great dinner-party dish as it can be prepared a day ahead.
      • This rice dish is a meal in itself and makes a lovely summer lunch dish, served warm or at room temperature.
      • He would have made a great prime minister, if only the media would have gone easier on him.
      • He's not just my long-term life partner; he makes a fine hot water bottle too.
      • As a former forward I've my own ideas about what makes a great forward.
      • If a man wipes his feet on the door mat before coming into the room, you may be sure he will make a good domestic husband.
      Synonyms
      be, act as, serve as, function as, constitute, perform the function of, do duty for, play the part of, represent, embody, form
    2. 4.2 Consider to be; estimate as.
      How many are there? I make it sixteen
      Example sentencesExamples
      • What time do you make it?
      • We are currently at 13,000, excuse me, make that 14,200 feet above sea level, looking out over a sea of clouds.
      • I make it - what? A hundred fifty yards to the bend?
      Synonyms
      compute, calculate, work out
    3. 4.3 Agree or decide on (a specified arrangement), typically one concerning a time or place.
      let's make it 7:30
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Since the fire, arrangements have been made to move the family to Wiltshire.
      • Please check with Fred Hulmes before making any other arrangements to avoid disappointment.
      • The mailing address post office box will remain open for now, until other arrangements are made.
      • Details of the scheme will be announced as soon as arrangements have been made.
      • If a few arrangements are made beforehand it can make the bereavement process that much easier.
      • Let's make it a night for ourselves.
      • They started talking and before long they had made a date.
      • Before we headed toward our trains, we made a lunch date.
      • They don't collect our rubbish at all - we have to make separate and costly arrangements.
      • The match was so much enjoyed by all concerned that it was unanimously agreed to make this the first of a regular series.
      Synonyms
      reach, come to, settle on, determine on, conclude, establish, seal

  • 5Gain or earn (money or profit)

    he'd made a lot of money out of hardware
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Edwards has made a fortune as a lawyer.
    • If those companies believed there were profits to be made, they were right.
    • There is a community which makes a pretty good living out of ironing clothes alone.
    • He was duped into thinking he would make a huge profit by buying jewels being brought into Britain.
    • Any money they make after they've paid back the loan can either be put back into the business or kept.
    • There's a lot of profit to be made if the volumes of the sale are particularly huge.
    • Until a couple of years ago it was making a million pounds profit a day and enjoyed high customer satisfaction ratings.
    • When things got really bad I would buy a wreck, do it up and make a bigger profit.
    • Being an artist is a way to get my songs out there, but labels are looking to make money and a profit.
    • Their popularity showed that there was money to be made by appealing to the baser instincts of young men.
    • I don't intend to live at my daughter's flat or benefit from any profit she may make when selling it.
    • They will make money and bring us lots of other benefits too, the promoters promise.
    • For the rest of his life he struggled to find time and energy to compose while making a living as a teacher and performer.
    • If they do make a surplus that money goes back into the school to provide bursaries or development projects.
    • He makes millions of dollars a year!
    • Descended from a long line of watchmakers, he makes a living designing timepieces.
    • New growth companies make their money by bringing a fresh approach to the business world.
    • Put at its most simple, private companies exist to make profit for their share holders.
    • The only person who will gain will be some landlord who will make money from his rent.
    • He claimed that he made little or no money from the deals and passed most of the cash to the detective.
    Synonyms
    acquire, obtain, gain, get, realize, secure, win, earn

  • 6Arrive at (a place) within a specified time or in time for (a train or other transport)

    we've got a lot to do if you're going to make the shuttle
    they didn't always make it on time
    Example sentencesExamples
    • What will be done to improve them and when can we expect to start making it to our classes on time?
    • Due to some fab driving and running three red lights we made it with two minutes to spare.
    • She only makes it to the terminal thanks to two blokes in a red pickup truck who give her a lift.
    • I will have to travel a distance to make it there and do not want to find it closed upon arrival.
    • He wasn't in so much of a hurry to leave and managed to kiss and hug us all before being shunted off to make his plane.
    • If I can get to Hammersmith by twenty to one in the morning I can make the very last train into Richmond.
    • It's too bad that I can't make her party tomorrow night.
    • Only thing is, we now have to get back to Wimbledon to pick up the car to make a 1pm lunch date in Folkestone!
    • The only way we could make it on time was to start driving on Thanksgiving Day and keep going way into the night.
    • Seems he and Abi had a gig and it was such short notice that his band couldn't make it.
    • Sorry to mess you around, but I am not in the office again today so will not be able to make the meeting.
    Synonyms
    catch, get, arrive in time for, be in time for, arrive at, reach
    1. 6.1make it Succeed in something; become successful.
      he waited confidently for his band to make it
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He's confident he's made it as an actor, because a club devoted to hating him has sprung up at his cousin's school.
      • He came from Toxteth and everybody looked up to him because he'd made it.
      • There is a myth that gifted children don't need any special help, that they'll make it on their own.
      • Before we made it, he drove a fruit and veg van and then would drive us to all our gigs.
      • I can only imagine what it must be like to be one of a team that makes it all the way in any walk of life.
      • She said Davis made it because of her singing - not a crazy costume or attention-getting gimmick.
      Synonyms
      succeed, be successful, prosper, distinguish oneself, be a success, get ahead, make good
    2. 6.2 Achieve a place in.
      these dogs seldom make the news
      they made it to the semifinals
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The move could cost taxpayers a five-figure sum if England makes it as far as the final.
      • All of them are men, and we look forward to the day when an Indian woman makes it to the list!
      • It was a great innovation, great software, and it perhaps should have made it on the list.
      • It is one of only three in Hampshire to have made it onto the latest roll of honour.
      • But he also admitted that even making the World Cup playoffs was a difficult target to hit.
      • The flipside of that is the boost the winner would get from successfully making it to the final.
      • He registered at Florida Southern College but did not make the team.
      • Despite the involvement of 1000 people in the rioting, the story didn't make the front page.
      • He has his sights set even higher than that with the dream of making the World Games to be held in China in 2007.
      • Unluckily for me I've been injured at the end of every season, but hopefully I can shake this off and make the final.
      Synonyms
      gain a place in, get into, gain access to, enter
    3. 6.3 Achieve the rank of.
      he wasn't going to make captain
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He made colonel in less than 15 years, as a nonrated maintenance officer.
      • He was commissioned in 1944 and made flight lieutenant two years later.
      Synonyms
      succeed, be successful, prosper, distinguish oneself, be a success, get ahead, make good

  • 7no object, with adverbial of direction Go or prepare to go in a particular direction.

    he struggled to his feet and made toward the car
    Example sentencesExamples
    • I made towards the most colourful hut, which was obviously a bar though I couldn't see a name on it.
    • Mom was the first to get up from her seat and made toward the door.
    • He made towards the window and sat down in the chair closest to it, panting.
    • Stepping down from the spire he made towards the door, when suddenly he heard voices from below.
    Synonyms
    go towards, head for, head towards, aim for, make one's way towards, move towards, direct one's steps towards, steer a course towards, be bound for, set out for, make a beeline for, take to
    1. 7.1with infinitive Act as if one is about to perform an action.
      she made as if to leave the room
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The problem had begun a short time earlier, when a guest was making to leave.
      • He looks at her helplessly, then makes as if to say something.
      • ‘Come on,’ I said, making as though to stand up.
      • Chris made to move through the doorway, when he glanced up and looked straight at Sarah.
      Synonyms
      feign, pretend, give the impression, make a pretence of, make a show of, affect, feint, make out

  • 8North American informal Induce (someone) to have sexual intercourse with one.

    he had been trying to make Cynthia for two years now
    his alleged quest to make it with the world's most attractive women
    Example sentencesExamples
    • He never tried to make her, never laid a hand on her.
    • He drove a Ferrari, he had long hair, and rumour had it he had even made it with a girl!
    • Is it possible that this is just a guy on the make, doing everything he can, just to make it with a woman?

  • 9(in bridge, whist, and similar games) win (a trick).

    Example sentencesExamples
    • A contract to make 12 tricks is known as a small slam.
    • If a defender made one or more tricks, he subtracts one point for each trick.
    • You win less or lose more than you would by playing solo 8 and making the same number of tricks.
    • On the other hand, if a declarer makes no tricks, it is a match against her.
    • As an added complication, no sequence can be counted until its holder has actually made a trick.
    1. 9.1 Win a trick with (a card).
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Although on table 1 our North-South pair defeated West's 5 diamonds, on table 2 with the same cards our East-West pair allowed North to play and make 4 hearts.
    2. 9.2 Win the number of tricks that fulfills (a contract).
      Example sentencesExamples
      • After a contract on the bid is made, the declarer decides whether to set the rank for that hand high or low.
      • The players in the team that won the bidding score only those cards in those tricks that make the contract.
    3. 9.3 Shuffle (a pack of cards) for dealing.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Peter made the cards and handed them to Stern to deal.

  • 10Nautical
    no object (of the tide) begin to flow or ebb.

    Example sentencesExamples
    • It's an ugly place to be caught on a lee shore with a westerly gale and the tide making.
nounmeɪkmāk

  • 1The manufacturer or trade name of a particular product.

    the make, model, and year of his car
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Now I know my size in two makes of bra I can shop online - oh the safety of that.
    • With so many makes, models and marques on the market, how on earth do you choose which one?
    • Yet it was really the Morris Minor of 1928 that established the make in the public eye.
    • Mark your property with a UV marker pen and take details of the make and model when you buy it.
    • It should be an interesting race with the key factor being the influence of temperature on both makes of tyres.
    • We all demand different qualities in a regulator and find these in various makes.
    • The owners of the building refused to reveal which makes of toys had been stored at the warehouse.
    • Why won't the music industry embrace the ringtone market by generating multiple formats for the Top 40, ensuring pop sounds for every make of phone?
    • He paces around in a panic comparing makes and models of everything and anything as if his life depended upon it.
    • There are many proprietary makes of planer on the market but they are all basically the same.
    • Many racers drive certain makes or models because they love the look or feel of the car.
    • To be a pilot you need to know aerodynamics and a bit about the engines but you don't need to know the make of the fuel pump.
    • The frame is UFS which makes it compatible with many other makes of frame out there.
    • Also the merits of the different makes of computer processor were being bantered around.
    • Vehicles of all makes and models whizzed by as the freighter passed over them.
    • The range of makes and models on offer, Orton said, had a visible impact on visitor numbers.
    • The first was as Purdey, the New Avengers character reputedly named after a make of shotgun.
    • The statistics include registrations of various makes which compete with each other.
    • There are many different makes and models of reel, which can be used for this type of zander fishing.
    • They were different makes and models, but all of them should have been painted yellow.
    Synonyms
    brand, marque, model, mark, sort, type, kind, variety, style, label
    1. 1.1 The structure or composition of something.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Even from a distance I could see it was of fine make, for the hilt glittered with silver as he held it up.

  • 2The making of electrical contact.

Phrases

  • be made of money

    • informal often with negativeBe very rich.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Not everyone is made of money and people know this.
      • You may be made of money but I'll bet your patients are not.
      • Not being made of money, we made the decision that we would rather spend less and live more.
      • Unless the user is made of money I doubt anyone will have had this done as the handset is less than 6 months old.
      • He thought city people were made of money, and for a time obliged them to pay a dollar for a loaf of bread.
      • At a school where almost everyone was made of money, buying lots of chocolate was something that was high on our list of things to buy that wasn't going to put us out of pocket.
      • I wouldn't have minded living here if I had a helicopter to avoid the traffic and if I was made of money.
      • However, not everyone is made of money, and for them value will become a much bigger issue.
      • Lucy just proves you don't need to be made of money to have great style.
      • Not being made of money, this was always a very sore time of the year for us.

  • have (got) it made

    • informal Be in a position where success is certain.

      because your dad's a manager, he's got it made
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Nothing can be more repellent to me than the self-satisfied smile of someone who thinks he has got it made.
      • I am very organizationally challenged, but this is one area where I think the guys have got it made.
      • Just when you think you have it made, a new form of technology comes along and you have to do it all over again.
      • I suppose we all think that the guy with the business has got it made, but that is not always so.
      • At first glance, Clarkson would seem to have it made.
      • From St. Louis to New York City, the Rocky Mountains and rural Washington State, folk music fans have got it made for the summertime.
      • Honestly, I think that little kids have it made.
      • First, she points out how easy it is for her and me, and others who comparatively have it made, to avoid direct action.
      • But just as it seems that they might relax and say they have it made, they are suddenly faced with a new challenge: the economic rules have changed.
      • Sensing he has got it made, Ricky sets out to enjoy the high life of stretch limos, nightclubs, and, of course, women.

  • make a day (or night) of it

    • Devote a whole day (or night) to an activity, especially an enjoyable one.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • It's ideal for a one-off treatment or for making a day of it, with a full range of state-of-the-art pampering packages on offer.
      • He then suggested some sort of an ‘activity’ to make a day of it, like dinner and a movie.
      • My mother and I often made a day of it at the department stores in downtown Washington.
      • Manchester is one of the most user-friendly towns in terms of getting around and making a day of it.
      • She said: ‘It is not often that I make a night of it in Glasgow but this is a special occasion.’
      • I reckon the cops have a blast - they grab a 12-pack (of doughnuts) and make a night of it!
      • The City was making a day of it, and encouraging citizens to bring a packed lunch and enjoy the show.
      • We decided to make a night of it and head out for some drinks.
      • So if you're in the mood for good food and good music, make a night of it and head down to Fado.
      • Helping father on the allotment was a favourite way of spending Bank Holiday, and many made a day of it with a picnic beside the cabbage patch.

  • make someone's day

    • Make an otherwise ordinary or dull day pleasingly memorable for someone.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • He gave us gentle advice and absolutely made our day with his genuine manner and delivery.
      • To women, things like that are of huge importance and can make your day, while to men they are insignificant.
      • ‘When I get a customer who is excited by everything and keen to try new things, it just makes my day,’ Ottavio says.
      • Sometimes, its the small things that make your day.
      • Britney makes my day when she posts letters, she really does.
      • It honestly makes my day when a friend sends me an e-mail.
      • I hope that your letters, emails, comments and questions keep coming because reading them makes my day.
      • It's gratifying when you find something for someone and it makes their day.
      • Kerry was delighted with her gifts from the Rotarians and thanked all of them for making her day.
      • You really made our day in so many ways, I can't list them all… we couldn't have done it without you!

  • make do

    • Manage with the limited or inadequate means available.

      Dad would have to make do with an old car
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Many more channels are available nowadays, even if some of us still make do with the five.
      • So far, Holden and Hughes have been making do with a swish flat in the area.
      • Everyone else has developed a mania for making do with less.
      • In the meantime, everybody else mends and makes do.
      • A civilization that believes itself capable of making do without other civilizations tends to be headed toward its doom.
      • In the meanwhile, James, being a tradesman, has been making do with public transport and lifts from workmates to get around the various jobsites.
      • Aided by support staff and by reading specialists, teachers made do with the pedagogical knowledge and skills that were available to them.
      • People with learning difficulties no longer have to make do with what is available.
      • After so many years of being on split sites and making do, the new state-of-the-art building could be open by the end of next year.
      • But some unlucky arrivals are making do with a mattress on the floor of a large room in a hall of residence.
      Synonyms
      scrape along, scrape by, get along, get by, manage, cope, survive, muddle along, muddle through, fare all right, make the best of a bad job, improvise, make ends meet, keep the wolf from the door, keep one's head above water, shift for oneself
      make the best of, get by on, get by with, put to the best use, make the most of

  • make like

    • informal Pretend to be; imitate.

      tell the whole group to make like a bird by putting their arms out
      Example sentencesExamples
      • When they came in, I made like it was my house and that the unexpected-but-very-very-welcome guests had arrived.
      • He makes like a much saner but less personable Iggy Pop.
      • Marty Anderson, who was on the pro tour at the time, used to make like a bird and pretend to fly.
      • Jones was making like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the aftermath of his sacking, promising that he'll be back.
      • If you want an alternative to a T-shirt or vest, make like Kate Moss and wear your skirt with a waistcoat and nothing else.
      • I've been here, blogging away, making like we were the strong, ever-capable parenting-types, when in truth, we're unmitigated failures.
      • Of course this was before she made like Patti LaBelle and got a new attitude.
      • Miller makes like a guitar hero yet again and Prescott screams about being master of his domain.
      • Let's see; there are bongos and guitars and cymbals and gongs and a saxophone, and one or more gentlemen grunting and moaning and generally making like Mark E. Smith.
      • If you're more the type to let the ocean provide the motion, why not spend a day at one of the fabulous wave pools, making like ducks.
      Synonyms
      imitate, mimic, do an impression of, ape

  • make or break

    • Be the factor which decides whether (something) will succeed or fail.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • TV coverage of elections and governmental affairs can make or break a politician's career.
      • My reply got me thinking about the different ways that elders make or break communities.
      • The big two in local football are heading for a make or break month of matches.
      • These next few weeks will be make or break for many businesses.
      • Social networking has changed the rules of the game and consumers now have the power to make or break a brand.
      • As a dining companion pointed out, the crust can make or break a pizza, and in this case, it broke it.
      • Did your mark on your grade five geography project really make or break your admittance into university?
      • The pressure, the exposure and the rewards involved in matches like these are such that they can make or break a player's career.
      • As any sports fanatic knows, commentary can make or break any game, whether on TV or on a console.
      • The quality of the lighting system is a make or break factor in the 24 Hour Race.

  • make sail

    • 1Spread a sail or sails.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • One never leaves the safety of the cockpit when making sail, reefing, or stowing sails.
      • As soon as the natives retired ashore, we made sail and spent our time standing off and on.
      • Stepping their masts and making sail, side by side, the four boats of the Daydream forged steadily ahead.
      • To make sail is to spread an additional quantity of sail, so as to increase the ship's velocity.
      • If called on deck for the purpose of shortening or making sail they should come at once.
      1. 1.1Start a voyage.
        Example sentencesExamples
        • The wind began to stir, so it was time to up anchor and make sail before the flood would impede my exit from the Roach and make its way up the Crouch.
        • After she had been on board about an hour, a breeze springing up, we weighed anchor and made sail.
        • At half-past twelve, when the two frigates were about three miles apart, the Pique filled her yards and made sail towards the Blanche, which shortly after had brought-to the schooner.
        • On the twenty-first, the weather being unusually pleasant, we again made sail to the southward, with the resolution of penetrating in that course as far as possible.
        • We being very short of water, made sail at 6 p.m. on the 25th and took our departure from that place for Texas.
        • The death was a shock to all on board and it was a subdued company that made sail for Bermuda.
        • The latter immediately made sail in chase, and before dark ascertained that the strangers were enemies.
        • Having succeeded in this attempt, we made sail for the stockade of the other chief, and arrived there that evening.
        • As Iberville's ships sailed west, Arriola left Francisco Martinez in command and made sail for Mexico.
        • He had decided to make sail for that point where they had last seen Dolphin.

  • make time

    • 1Find an occasion when time is available to do something.

      the nurse should make time to talk to the patient
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Having a sense of humour, being polite, and making time for some personal conversation can often make a huge difference in the attitude of others.
      • Of all the tasks you spend time on every day, making time for your family can be the most meaningful.
      • He rarely makes time to exercise, occasionally playing squash or visiting the gym when he has the time and energy.
      • I find my biggest problem now is making time for everything.
      • Kevin and I always made time for the occasional dinner date, family outing and romantic vacation.
      • So in addition to being available and approachable, make time during the day to informally interact with staffers.
      • He thanked the players and manager for making time to attend before having to rush off to training.
      • Plan ahead, make sure you've got time to do everything you need to do while making time to relax and enjoy yourself
      • But he still makes time for the important stuff, and thankfully that also includes coming to the Vancouver festival more often.
      • Occasionally, make time to invite a neighbor over and perform for them after a lunch or dinner.

    • 2Make sexual advances to someone.

      I couldn't make time with Marilyn because she was already a senior
      Example sentencesExamples
      • De Gauche plans to marry Roxane to his best friend, who will overlook De Gauche making time with his wife.
      • I saw you making time with that man.
      • ‘So it suits me fine living there - there's never a shortage of handsome men eager to make time with me,’ she adds saucily.
      • Ethan gets a gig playing in Harrisburg and Justin secretly follows, catching the new boyfriend making time with an admirer.
      • The fairer sex was indeed Johnson's downfall as he was likely poisoned by the jealous husband of a woman he was making time with.
      • Meanwhile, Ron was trying to make time with a table of ladies.
      • Her little sister certainly didn't seem to have a problem making time with Nick.

  • make up one's mind

    • Make a decision; decide.

      he made up his mind to attend the meeting
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I look at all sides of the issue before making up my mind.
      • I am having trouble making up my mind how I feel on any one thing.
      • Television channels began flashing news that she had made up her mind to refuse the premiership.
      • I plan to go see the movie myself before making up my mind - though it may be out in video by that time.
      • It starts with just making up your mind that you want to make a change in your life.
      • And Shelley had made up her mind that this year, her junior year, there was going to be a difference.
      • He has made up his mind, in future, steadfastly to refuse all proposals, come from what quarter they may.
      • You could spend half a day making up your mind what to order.
      • He made up his mind to leave Sunday morning and decided to go for another drive.
      • At 35 and obviously aging, Roy Jones needs to make up his mind and decide on his future very soon.
      Synonyms
      decide, be decisive, come to a decision, make a decision, reach a decision

  • make way

    • 1Allow room for someone or something else.

      the land is due to be bulldozed to make way for a parking garage
      Example sentencesExamples
      • ‘Companies have been telling employees who don't want to move to make way for Olympic venues that if you don't go, you'll be out of a job,’ he said.
      • The historic market, at the heart of town life for centuries, will be leaving the town for good to make way for redevelopment.
      • Two houses would have to be demolished to make way for the scheme.
      • Since then vast tracts of fields and woodlands have disappeared to make way for housing and other development.
      • So he set out, but on the road and in the village no one made way for him, and when he begged no one gave him alms.
      • Peter congratulated him before asking which unfortunate soul had been dropped to make way for his young brother.
      • In some cases they have been ousted to make way for senior officials.
      • Mr and Mrs Sweeney hope to be in their new bungalow by the first week in February, to make way for the school's new caretaker.
      • We just threw all my stuff against the walls of the room to make way for the bed.
      • They got rid of the only hospital in town to make way for a motorway that allowed tourists going to the Lake District to get past us a bit quicker.
      Synonyms
      move aside, clear the way, make a space, make room, stand back

    • 2Nautical
      Make progress; travel.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • I hadn't yet hired a car, so I scanned the available rental counters and made way for Budget.
      • After trading our purchased drink tickets for beers, we made way to the complimentary buffet.
      • Alan clutched his bag and made way to the door.
      • She thought about the men running the ship, in the cold night air, making way over the deep ocean.
      • After this uninformed assessment we proceeded and made way out of Road Town toward Norman Island.
      • Henrietta, shouldering an opened parasol, followed the tapping of Josh's cane as they made way slowly to the pier.
      • Seeing the sun beginning to set he made way for his balcony.
      • We booked into our hotel suite, and then made way down towards the beach.
      • On deck, he made way toward William, who he saw as soon as he came.
      • The Hornet set sail and made way for the launch point Southeast of Japan's coast line.
      Synonyms
      move aside, clear the way, make a space, make room, stand back

  • on the make

    • 1informal Intent on gain, typically in an unscrupulous way.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • There is always someone on the make in a crisis.
      • Journalists, particularly those on the make, will pursue ‘a story’ with little regard for its effect on the people involved and their families.
      • Never trust a biologist on the make, or a former Trotskyist who aligns himself with the neocons…
      • They are all young bands on the make - and Franz Ferdinand is already well on the way to world domination.
      • It was laughable, but then what can be expected from politicians always on the make for a quick pic or plausible headline.
      • He was certainly an ambitious young man who was always on the make, looking for the next angle.
      • He's got that furtive manner of someone always on the make, someone looking for an angle, probing for a weakness.
      • Mackintosh beckoned from across the park, then sat down next to him like a vagrant on the make.
      • This is the story of his adventures when he is sent away to live in London with his uncle, a fat man always on the make - the book's finest comic creation.
      • However, at its extreme, this has led to the all-too-familiar deformation of the professional as simply the expert for hire, or another mercenary on the make.
      Synonyms
      ambitious, aspiring, determined, forceful, pushy, enterprising, pioneering, progressive, eager, motivated, enthusiastic, energetic, zealous, committed, go-ahead, go-getting, purposeful, assertive, aggressive, hungry, power-hungry
      1. 1.1Looking for a sexual partner.
        Example sentencesExamples
        • The crowd can be a little shaky sometimes (a few too many single people on the make!) but the decor is simply mindbendingly good.
        • In the dog-eat-dog world of New York dating, pals on the make face an unhappy dilemma: Who's more important, the fling or the friend?
        • Why are some people faithful and others on the make?
        • He is soon smitten with new student Pat McClellan who is on the make for the most handsome and richest of the Tait College men.
        • And all the girls in the film are on the make for Clint.
        • This former garage is always buzzing with singles, many who seem on the make.
        • We meet the giggly girls, lads on the make, lager louts and smooth talking DJs, all set against the glitzy glamour of the dance floor.
        • She was obviously on the make for her mother's boyfriend.
        • For handsome twentysomething men on the make, the ideal Manhattan woman is neither the supermodel nor the stripper.
        • Evie is always on the make - seducing boys, girls, young men, and Tracy's mother.

  • put the make on

    • informal Make sexual advances to (someone)

      an old flame she thought she could reconnect with put the make on someone else
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The movie opens in a bar, where an older blonde puts the make on laborer Vince Everett.
      • And the next time he puts the make on you, remind him that's what he has a girlfriend for.
      • A fireman, with an eye for the ladies, tries to put the make on an independent young typist.
      • He then sent me to the company psychiatrist who put the make on me, and then I really did scream to get out.
      • The boys all head for a dance hall, where Scott puts the make on a mousy girl named Connie.
      • Back in high school, my buddies tried to put the make on anything that moved.
      • The next thing we know, Marion is putting the make on her former lover Alec, Lisa is in labor, a baby changes hands and things get even more complicated.
      • Amazingly, a female patron put the make on me after the movie ended.
      • He recalls that he ‘was trying to put the make on’ this woman, confirming the viewer's sense that the sexual interest expressed by the participants was authentic.
      • He doesn't think Laura can handle Robert, and Luke is worried that Robert is putting the make on her.
      • I am not the most assertive when it comes to putting the make on someone but I respond very well to seduction.
      • After her uncle puts the make on her she takes off on her own using her feminine wiles to make it to the top.
      • And she's also back to her old ways in the man department, putting the make on married older dudes, especially non-showbiz spouses of her female friends and costars.
      • Tony Curtis plays his poor, young slave, who runs away to join up with Spartacus after Olivier puts the make on him.
      • In the film's most nerve-racking scene, one of those youngsters manages to get Helen alone in a passenger car of a commuter train - and puts the make on her.
      • Dishevelled and tearful, her self-esteem has just taken a beating as she has watched an old flame she thought she could reconnect with put the make on someone else.
      • From what he could tell, though, at least Johnny wasn't trying to put the make on her.
      Synonyms
      make sexual advances to, make advances to, make sexual overtures to, proposition, make a sexual approach to

Phrasal Verbs

  • make after

    • Pursue (someone).

      Example sentencesExamples
      • I nodded, made after him quickly and eased myself through the hole.
      • I slipped my other shoe into my bag and made after him - he wasn't hard to locate.

  • make away with

    • 1Carry (something) away illicitly.

      he smashed a glass case and made away with a number of items of jewelery
      Example sentencesExamples
      • She said her attackers gagged her mouth and tied her to the bed before making away with the property.
      • The book starts with poachers killing a pair of rhinos in a San Antonio zoo and making away with their horns.
      • An impostor enters the phone network of a top government agency and makes away with classified information by spoofing his caller ID.
      • This would make it more difficult for a thief to make away with the item.
      • The process continues and the employee makes away with increasingly larger amounts of money, involving more and more accounts.
      • A sweet and submissive mantrap, Irina ultimately makes away with an art collection, most of the petty cash, and the show.
      • The thieves waited for the interval between the security men leaving the gallery and the alarm being set before making away with the pictures.
      • When he was trying to clean the stains with a piece of cloth, they made away with the cash bag kept in the vehicle.
      • I felt bad as I could not do anything to prevent the robbers from making away with our valuables.
      • The traders - the Frenchman and the Russian - are left with nothing; and Kim makes away with all their maps and secret papers - a coup for British intelligence.
      1. 1.1Kill (someone) furtively and illicitly.
        for all we know she could have been made away with
        Example sentencesExamples
        • It was while they were making away with the second daughter that they were arrested.
        • The only question that seemed to trouble him was, whom to make away with; for he was not blind to the fact that murder requires a victim as well as a priest.
        • She heard that her son had been a coward and unworthy of her, and when he arrived, she made away with him.
        • Up till then, individual efforts to make away with him had been made, and all had failed.
        • Afterwards, at Bedriacum, Placentia and other camps, high and low made away with themselves in the same way.
        • What good is the band if the lead singer makes away with himself.
        Synonyms
        kill, murder, put to death, slaughter, dispatch, execute, eliminate

  • make for

    • 1Move or head toward (a place)

      I made for the life raft and hung on for dear life
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He tottered blindly towards the bar like a camel making for an oasis after a hard day at the office.
      • I opened the door and out he dashed, making for his favourite hiding place.
      • He ordered us to go and we moved into a jog, making for our destination.
      • The crowd has swelled so you can't move, let alone photograph, so I make for a restaurant on a first floor from where I can look down on the concert below.
      • But finding his army outflanked by Cromwell, he moved south in August, making for the old royalist strongholds of Wales and the west midlands.
      • Inside, he waved Susan towards his rocking chair and made for the kitchen.
      • The fumes of the city stung harshly in my nose as I inched towards the Ramblas, one among twenty thousand making for Barcelona's famous promenade.
      • She pushed past him, making for the entrance in the rock through which her guide had disappeared.
      • The invasion force making for Midway was ineffectually attacked on 3 June, and Midway was heavily bombed on the following day.
      • Parliament decided to use its army to cut off Rupert's lines of support and so moved off the moor and made for Tadcaster.
      Synonyms
      go towards, head for, head towards, aim for, make one's way towards, move towards, direct one's steps towards, steer a course towards, be bound for, set out for, make a beeline for, take to
      1. 1.1Approach (someone) to attack them.
        Example sentencesExamples
        • He grunted in anger and made for them again, and Mike pushed him back once more.
        • He began to heave the books at her, and when he ran out of books she made for him again.
        • He pushed forward and made for the woman with the guitar.

    • 2Tend to result in or be received as (a particular thing)

      job descriptions never make for exciting reading
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Yet he is aware of the monster that he has become and begins a journey towards redemption that makes for a fascinating movie.
      • Really good vocals, some class songwriters and superb musicianship make for an enjoyable and moving album.
      • The approach doesn't make for a perfect album, but it's a lovely one nonetheless.
      • We need less hostility, folks, and obeying the laws of the road can go a long way towards making for a peaceful existence.
      • It makes for harrowing viewing, moving you to anger and tears.
      • It makes for a strangely moving scene, despite or because of the hum of the nearby freeways.
      • It was a rousing affair, moving, positively exasperating, and alone would make for a concert not to be missed.
      • How the alliance began towards the end of last year and how it evolved makes for a fascinating story.
      • This makes for comic and moving moments in a deep-thinking, pertinent play that is both heavy and light on the heart.
      • She had moved to Berlin a year before and it made for difficult rehearsals.
      Synonyms
      contribute to, be conducive to, produce, promote, facilitate, further, advance, forward, foster, favour

    • 3Be eminently suited for (a particular function)

      a man made for action
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The second of the two links is the sort of collaborative project that the internet was made for.
      • This is one of those applications that PDAs were made for, but whether stores will want to install extra hardware for users remains to be seen.
      • Have you ever felt like there was one person in this world you were made for?
      • What I experienced during that year enabled me to discover what I was made for.
      • That's what Las Vegas was made for, to get illegal money back into circulation again.
      • Because they worked at this - at whatever it was, the one thing they were made for.
      • After two years Arnold sacked her, for her own good, forcing her to join the National Film School and set out on the career she was made for.
      • This is much better than the arms folded brigade stood there nodding appreciatively - this is what music was made for.
      • Guessing how a hydrogen bomb might be built was what Teller's intellectual talents were made for.
      • No, it's no good, I have yet to discover what Bank holidays were made for.
      • It is a position that the reigning world and European champion was made for: being right; being the best.
      1. 3.1Form an ideal partnership; be ideally suited.
        you two were just made for each other
        Example sentencesExamples
        • Autumn and English apples are just made for each other.
        • It's clear from this moment that these two are made for each other.
        • Much as I sometimes hate to admit it, my true love and I are made for each other.
        • So Bob and Charlotte are pretty well made for each other.
        • In no time at all they concede they are made for each other and have the time of their life.
        • Conventional wisdom has it, of course, that cheese and wine are made for each other, period.
        • The irony is that Hardy and Anna are made for each other, as are Ben and Kate.
        • The couple seemed made for each other, drawn together by the game.
        • So, when they started dating, that scared her even more, because they were practically made for each other.
        • It just works out well for some people - Giselle and Mark are made for each other.

  • make something of

    • 1Give or ascribe a specified amount of attention or importance to.

      oddly, he makes little of America's low investment rates
      Example sentencesExamples
      • They have made much of the fact that their currency is the oldest in the world.
      • Few artists have ever made more of their ethnic and cultural origins than Toledo.
      • MacDowell is well aware of all of this, but makes too little of these interrelated developments.
      • I don't understand why nothing was made of my case.
      1. 1.1Understand or derive advantage from.
        they stared at the stone but could make nothing of it
        Example sentencesExamples
        • Anyway, usually what I do is set up a clear advantage position, try to figure out what the advantage is, and then try to make something of it against Fritz.
        • He told me that I would never make anything of myself if I didn't go to college.
        • That symbol was even stranger, and he could make nothing of it.
      2. 1.2with negative or in questionsConclude to be the meaning or character of.
        he wasn't sure what to make of Russell
        Example sentencesExamples
        • Your son explained to me many things about Buddhism and enlightenment, but frankly I can't make anything of it.
        • What do you make of the talk-show aspect of this campaign?
        • What does she make of the success of this student-run farm?
        • Hey, don't tell me what to make of your music.

  • make off

    • Leave hurriedly, especially in order to avoid duty or punishment.

      they made off without paying
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He added: ‘We need to trace anyone who saw the assault, or the suspect making off.’
      • This time the men stole jewellery and money before making off towards the town centre.
      • He eventually came to a stop in Chestnut Avenue, and tried to make off on foot, but he was surrounded by officers.
      • The warning follows a number of incidents in which members of the public have made off from taxis without paying their fares.
      • Terrified workers fled into a store room at the sight of the men who ransacked the cash till and safe before making off.
      • He also admitted making off without paying a £22 taxi fare.
      • The father-of-two said he had seen the criminals making off down the cycle path.
      • The man took hold of the woman's handbag and dragged her to the floor before making off on foot.
      • The robber stole cash before making off on foot and turning left in the direction of Braintree.
      • He was seen kicking her on the ground, before making off in the direction of Clapham Old Town.
      Synonyms
      run away, run off, take to one's heels, beat a hasty retreat, flee, make one's getaway, make a quick exit, make a run for it, run for it, take off, take flight, bolt, fly, make oneself scarce, leave, abscond, decamp, do a disappearing act

  • make off with

    • Carry (something) away illicitly.

      burglars made off with all their wedding presents
      Example sentencesExamples
      • They plan to rob a cash transport truck carrying $2,000,000, but Sami foils the heist and makes off with the money.
      • Her mysterious assailant made off with the cash and a stale Danish pastry.
      • She said that the salon already had internal shutters which did not stop thieves making off with £8,000 worth of stock.
      • Burglars made off with a haul of antiques worth thousands of pounds in two raids in Broad Town.
      • Thieves made off with a couple of masterpieces while museum-goers watched in disbelief.
      • The two intruders made off with a hi-fi and other electrical equipment.
      • A straw hat-wearing robber made off with £12,000 after threatening a woman with a knife.
      • A thief made off with nearly £1000 from the homes of two elderly women in Chelmsford last week.
      • Burglars made off with around £5,000 in cash after breaking in to a Kendal hotel safe.
      • Police reported a slew of burglaries in which the culprits entered homes while occupants slept, stealing whatever they could make off with.
      Synonyms
      take, steal, purloin, pilfer, abscond with, appropriate, run away with, run off with, carry off, snatch

  • make out

    • 1Make progress; fare.

      how are you making out, now that the summer's over?
      Example sentencesExamples
      • It'll be interesting to see how the original director makes out in the wake of the Dawn of the Dead remake.
      • I would love to hear from them, see how they've made out, try to pick up where we left off, and thank them.
      • Newton, who took on the biggest risk back in 1984, made out pretty well, too.
      Synonyms
      get on, get along, fare, do, proceed, go, progress, manage, survive, cope, get by

    • 2Engage in sexual activity.

      Ernie was making out with Bernice
      Example sentencesExamples
      • She and her boyfriend were photographed making out on a yacht.
      • There were dozens of times when I had walked into a room only to find him making out with some random chick.
      • He goes around making out with a bunch of other girls trying to find a replacement for me!
      • She'd come into his room and found him making out with one of the cheerleaders at her school.
      • He has taken her for several dates downtown where they have been making out at every opportunity.
      • Or it could turn out that you get bored with the movie and wind up making out on the couch.
      • He seemed too interested in making out with her than actually talking about what had happened.
      • When you break up with a guy, you're not supposed to keep making out after!
      • She sneaks out of the house, steals her mother's car, shoplifts, and makes out with a guy she met at a bar.
      • When we play people are making out all over the place and I'm happy that we're sending out a sexual vibe when we play.
      Synonyms
      make love, have sex, have sexual intercourse

  • make someone/something out

    • 1Manage with some difficulty to see or hear something.

      in the dim light it was difficult to make out the illustration
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I squint through the glare of the floodlights and struggle to make her out in the window.
      • My guess is that this object was at a very high altitude, because even using a zoom lens it was hard to make the shape out.
      • Out comes the first yellow card of the afternoon from referee Codjia, although it's hard to make the card out against his rather bright get-up.
      • Downstairs, in the gloom, you can just make out the figures of two large men.
      • His voice became faint to her, and her vision blurry, but as she could no longer make him out or hear his voice she couldn't tell what he said.
      • It was difficult to make them out though as their faces seemed to shine so brightly.
      • I didn't know what I was saying, because I couldn't hear it or make it out, but I saw Jason walk up again, and again he was crying.
      • Even at 200 feet, it was extremely hard to make them out.
      • The blurriness in his eyes made it difficult to read but eventually he managed to make it out.
      • He squinted at it, trying hard to make it out in the dark.
      Synonyms
      see, discern, distinguish, perceive, pick out, detect, notice, observe, recognize, catch sight of, glimpse, discover
      understand, comprehend, follow, grasp, fathom, work out, figure out, make sense of, interpret, decipher, make head or tail of, get, get the drift of, catch
      1. 1.1Understand the character or motivation of.
        I can't make her out—she's so inconsistent
        Example sentencesExamples
        • He clearly feels protective of her, but she can't make him out: is he a fantastic copper or just a complete nutter?
        • It's difficult to make Jason out because he was fine in Australia's first round match at the beginning of the week.
        Synonyms
        demonstrate, show to be true, establish, substantiate, prove, verify, validate, authenticate, corroborate

    • 2with infinitive or clauseAssert; represent.

      I'm not as bad as I'm made out to be
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Flanagan writes with verve and vim, but she's not as single-minded as her critics make her out to be.
      • It's pretty funny, because the more they make us out to be freaks, the more I learn they're pretty much like us.
      • We are bright, intelligent people, not simply the stiletto-wearing bimbos that you make us out to be.
      • It is not as difficult as you first make it out to be.
      • Oddly enough, however, finding and being admitted into the right school does not have to be as difficult as many people make it out to be.
      • While things are not perfect, they are not quite as black and white as many are making out.
      • In our very hearing you make him out to be a traitor!
      • I don't think the set-piece is as bad as some people seem to be making out.
      • Going after a man, explains Baisden, isn't as hard as people make it out to be.
      • Knowing now some of the unspeakable horrors that other children went through it is difficult to make him out as anything other than firm but fair.
      • Shields insists things were never as bad as people make out.
      1. 2.1Try to give a specified impression; pretend.
        he made out he was leaving
        Example sentencesExamples
        • Anyway, at the end of the discussion Robbie was making out that they had settled everything.
        • It would be fairly ridiculous to go around making out that writing poems was what I was doing with my life all the time.
        • I made out I was a big time player, willing to provide some funding in return for a cut of the action.
        • He just slowly edges up to me, making out like he is just snuggling up.
        • This is the sound of someone losing the plot - making out that they're okay when they're not.
        • Michael made out he didn't hear him.
        • He makes out that he's sick, so Dan immediately decides to can the trip (much to his fiancée's chagrin).
        • When I challenge him to stop getting sarky, he acts all hurt and makes out he never even realised he was doing what he was doing, but I'm not so sure about that.
        • He regularly humiliates dinner-party guests and makes out that his cellphone is on the blink to end dull conversations.
        • We had half a page in the local paper, who made out they had discovered the whole story.
        Synonyms
        feign, pretend, give the impression, make a pretence of, make a show of, affect, feint, make out
        allege, claim, assert, declare, maintain, affirm, aver, suggest, imply, hint, insinuate, indicate, intimate, impute, make as if, make as though, pretend

    • 3Draw up or write out a list or document, especially an official one.

      send a check made out to Trinity College
      advice about making out a will
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The net result is that every year a cheque is made out to the Leukaemia Unit at St James' Hospital.
      • According to National Health Insurance Bureau records from 2000, 3 million prescriptions were made out to 50,000 patients over the course of a year.
      • The contract of carriage shall be confirmed by the making out of a consignment note.
      • He expects the tax office will refuse to accept the cheque, because of who it is made out to, and says his campaign will carry on.
      • When she made out her application, she received offers from universities including Lancaster, but she refused because she was set on going to Oxford.
      • It's claimed that he's altered checks made out to his charitable organisation.
      • The date span of the cheques overlaps the latter period of the invoices and they are made out to the corporate defendant.
      • It is understood that three bank drafts were made out to ‘bearer’ for £25,000 each.
      • The bill is sent to the bank, and a copy to us, and we never have to make out a check or deal with a creditor.
      • It looks like Charlotte made the list out for her.
      Synonyms
      formulate, frame, draw up, devise, make out, prepare, compile, compose, put together
      write out, fill out, fill in, complete, draw up, draft, inscribe

  • make something over

    • 1Transfer the possession of something to someone.

      if he dies childless he is to make over his share of the estate to his brother
      Example sentencesExamples
      • You have the property, you are living in the property, you have not made anything over to your former partner, nor your children.
      • A century later, two neighbouring estates were amalgamated, creating a marvel of vistas and architecture which was eventually made over to the nation in 1841.
      • The property would not be made over to Mr Kirk, but on the other hand must be made safe for Thomas and his family.
      Synonyms
      transfer, sign over, turn over, hand over, hand on, give, hand down, leave, bequeath, bestow, pass on, devolve, transmit, cede, deliver, assign, consign, convey, entrust

    • 2Completely transform or remodel something, especially a person's hairstyle, makeup, or clothes.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Rarely did I ever let Sarah make me over but when she did I was always amazed at her power to erase all the little flaws that made me self-conscious at times.
      • My hair is a dirty-dishwater color,’ wrote Hope, in giving us reasons to make her over.
      • The whole group is coming over to my house to make me over.
      • The team will pick audience members and make them over, sharing their expertise and tricks of the trade.
      • ‘We're going to make you over,’ Kendall said, sitting me down in a chair.
      • Agents are experts at recognizing raw talents but may make you over to fit with the look of the moment.
      • Its angle is to take a group of plain Janes, make them over into glamour girls, and then have them all take part in a season-ending beauty pageant.
      • Paul Rudd plays Adam, a nerdy undergrad who falls for Evelyn, an iconoclastic art student hellbent on making him over.
      • Didn't Jess and I do a good job in making her over, Scott?
      • Wilma makes Fred over as a smooth Casanova, but when it goes to his head, she decides she likes him better the way he was.

  • make up

    • Be reconciled after a quarrel.

      let's kiss and make up
      Example sentencesExamples
      • At the end of it all, you swap shirts, shake hands, make up and go home.
      • I'd have no chance of creating an even bigger rift between them if they kissed and made up.
      • The wealthy couple were later seen having a lover's tiff before kissing and making up on the dance floor.
      • As Paul and Heather prepare to do battle, another celebrity is apparently kissing and making up.
      • They argue almost constantly, only stopping occasionally to hug and kiss and pretend to make up.
      • I think she has it in her head that if she gets us all in the same room we'll crack and kiss and make up.
      • So big-hearted Melvyn bought Al a slap-up lunch the other day to kiss and make up.
      • She says she has kissed and made up with Nigel, and the reunion was a fun night.
      • Here are some really great ideas on making up with your sweetheart after an argument.
      • She trails kisses up his neck and soon the two are making up in the kitchen tangled around each other.
      Synonyms
      be friends again, bury the hatchet, declare a truce, make peace, forgive and forget, shake hands, become reconciled, settle one's differences, mend fences, call it quits

  • make someone up

    • Apply cosmetics to oneself or another.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • She's made-up and luminous in all black, and her husband is sitting close to her.
      • After she had finished making up her mother's face, Caroline smiled at her young daughter.
      • Jacobs was made up to look like the former wrestling champion.
      • My several floor mates took me to the kitchenette and then they made me up for the drag night.
      • Tony, a couple of months ago, you made me up and made me look like somebody else.
      • With the help of fellow female team members, Adam was made up and dressed up for the strut down the catwalk.
      Synonyms
      apply cosmetics to, apply make-up to, powder, rouge

  • make something up

    • 1Serve or act to compensate for something lost, missed, or deficient.

      I'll make up the time tomorrow
      Example sentencesExamples
      • At 28 he knows he is supposed to be in his prime and he knows there is a lot of lost time to make up for.
      • Did this mean, he asked, that the disabled were being taxed to make up for the city's lost revenue?
      • So tourist businesses should now be thinking of ways of making up for lost business.
      • The pool is very flexible - they have a direct debit scheme that means if the children are ill and miss lessons you can make them up later.
      • The White House has said he transferred to the Alabama Guard and missed some duty but made it up later.
      • To make up for the lost sleep, he sleeps to the full on weekends, getting up after noon.
      • They exchange books and movies and are doing their best to make up for all the lost years.
      • But a spokesman for the firm said it was confident the lost time could be made up and the scheme would finish by the scheduled date.
      • And that means we can either raise prices to cover the lost revenue, or lower prices and hope to make it up on volume.
      • In later years, she made up for this lost time, never missing an opportunity to add to her infamy.
      Synonyms
      atone for, make amends for, compensate for, make recompense for, make reparation for, make redress for, make restitution for, expiate
      offset, counterbalance, counterweigh, counteract, compensate for
      1. 1.1Compensate someone for negligent or unfair treatment.
        I'll try to make it up to you in the future
        Example sentencesExamples
        • He knows we don't see eye to eye on hunting so he makes it up to me by just being as kind and thoughtful about animal issues as possible around me.
        • We want to try to make it up to our subscribers for the anxiety and the hassle of having to exchange their tickets.
        • I will do everything I can to make it up to them, but I know that no amount of compensation is enough.
        • We ended up making it up to Casey by taking her hiking twice and camping at the beach later in the month.
        • Not that I was making it up to her or anything, but I went into the Department Store and got her a present.
        • Let her know you're bugged, and give her the opportunity to make it up to you.
        • This week he's making it up to her by buying her flowers at Rachael's suggestion.
        • When I asked her what I could do to make it up to her, she said, Write me a poem.
        • Trying to ignore Darci as she made her pitiful attempts to make it up with Sarah, and Kane and his all too happy attitude.
        • I am extremely angry about this and will make it up to you.
        • By making it up to the person who was hurt, we make victims of the person all over again by saying that they should not have been hurt by what happened.
        Synonyms
        compensate, recompense, indemnify, make it up to, repay, reimburse, pay back

    • 2(of parts) compose or constitute (a whole)

      women make up 56 percent of the student body
      the team is made up of three women and two men
      Example sentencesExamples
      • One of our first steps has been to establish a cycling development team made up of officers from all areas of the council.
      • The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
      • A lot of different aspects make up the constitution of a football player.
      • Amino acids are the fundamental building blocks of life, making up the proteins which constitute all living cells.
      • Obviously, the film is as much about the boys who make up the team as their coach.
      • The only marks in the composition are geometric shapes made up of thin lines that seem to be carved into the paint.
      • If water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen, why can't we breathe underwater?
      • Whole galaxies, made up of hundreds of billions of stars, can produce greater effects though.
      • The Terrace was made up of Victorian houses built in 1891 for the clerks in Henshaw's mill, which was powered by the Dodder.
      • There had been speculation that Division One would be made up of 10 teams as opposed to the past season's 12 divided into two groups of five.
      Synonyms
      comprise, form, compose, constitute, account for
      1. 2.1Complete an amount or group.
        he brought along a girl to make up a foursome
        Example sentencesExamples
        • The rate has to increase by an extra amount the following year to make up the shortfall.
        • To be honest, I felt sure I was there to make up the numbers and I was quite happy to do so.
        • You can spend more than this amount if you wish, though obviously you'll be making up the difference yourself.
        • Including a bottle of Pellegrino, the bill came to a modest €69.80 and I rather gauchely made it up to €79.30.
        • My money limit for a round of golf depends on who makes up the rest of the foursome.
        • Recovering from injury, she stood in goal one night at training to make up a team and hasn't been released since.
        • The rest of the budget deficit will be made up by increases in the council tax precept and by using cash reserves.
        • The tax relief on pension is generous: for every 78p you pay into a pension, the government makes it up to £1.
        • The venture has proved so popular that there are enough students taking part in training to make up two teams.
        • Allithwaite were two players short so Ambleside made up their team.
        Synonyms
        complete, round off, finish

    • 3Put together or prepare something from parts or ingredients.

      make up the mortar to a consistency that can be molded in the hands
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I make up a cocktail of vitamins and minerals and feed this to the shrimps.
      • Good ales are made up of many of the same ingredients which are in great bread.
      • Shortly before the Jubilee weekend, I was joking about having a t-shirt made up.
      • We subsequently found out that the Austrian and German menu items are made up locally by an expert using genuine ingredients and traditional recipes.
      • I rushed home, quickly made up 6 mixes of bait, and returning to the lake put the whole lot in where I'd seen the fish.
      Synonyms
      prepare, mix, concoct, put together
      1. 3.1Get an amount or group together.
        he was trying to make up a party to go dancing
        Example sentencesExamples
        • All you need to do is to make up a team of six to eight, give yourself a catchy name and come along to test your wits and enjoy yourselves!
        • Local organisations and individuals are invited to make up teams of four.
        • Anyone unable to get a full team together can also turn up to make up more teams on the night.
        • Searching for coins, they made the sum up between them.
        • To make up a team, Alsager teacher Lindsay Purcell recruited a number of footballers.
      2. 3.2Prepare a bed for use with fresh bedclothes.
        Example sentencesExamples
        • Nurses made certain that the patients' beds were made up with fresh linen and blankets, and they offered sedatives or aspirin to patients who were uncomfortable.
        • I returned to my room to find that Marcie had already made the beds up and returned the room to its daytime configuration.
      3. 3.3Arrange type and illustrations into pages or arrange the type and illustrations on a page.
        Example sentencesExamples
        • I can make pages up, scan images in and all sorts of clever things.

    • 4Concoct or invent a story, lie, or plan.

      she enjoyed making up tall tales
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The narrator explains that all these stories are made up, but they are true anyway, because they explain what Vietnam was like.
      • Most of what is in the story is made up but every once in a while there will pop up something that really happened.
      • While the paper had tape recorded the entire tale on Thursday, the reporter could not reach the student for comment after he admitted making up the story.
      • I'm guessing you were making it up to illustrate your point.
      • In fact they think I just made the whole story up to get out of trouble.
      • The details, facts and common sense, however, just get in the way of the easy story, so they make it up as they go and figure we're too stupid to know it.
      • I still don't know if he was making the whole thing up or not, but it's the kind of story you desperately want to be true.
      • When I got home my parents didn't believe me and said that I had made the whole story up.
      • Under cross examination by Louise Blackwell, defending, Miss X denied making her account up.
      • He went on to claim that she had made the whole story up to frame him in an elaborate ruse as revenge for his affair.
      • I don't think such an outrageous story could be made up.
      Synonyms
      invent, fabricate, concoct, dream up, think up, hatch, trump up

  • make up to

    • Attempt to win the favor of (someone) by being pleasant.

      you can't go on about morals when you're making up to Adam like that
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Harry made up to her shamelessly.
      • I bet she was making up to the master.
      Synonyms
      flirt with, chase after, run after, pursue, make romantic advances to, court, woo, vamp

  • make with

    • Proceed to use or supply.

      make with the feet, honey—we're late
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Read the for and against, then make with the cyber-thumbs-up-or-down at the foot of the page.
      • Read these impassioned pleas for the plus and the minus, then roll on down to the foot of the page and make with the voting.
      • The sunset was making with the umbrella-drink colors, the low-rent-tropical stuff.
      • If you would like to compare and contrast how he looked three weeks ago, make with the clicking on this here link.
      • You've tried to kill our friends and you've threatened us, but now you're trying to make with the friendly talk.

Origin

Old English macian, of West Germanic origin, from a base meaning ‘fitting’; related to match.

verb.1
phr.
phr.v.
 
 
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更新时间：2024/9/20 15:24:33