Home UK English make

Meaning of make in English:

make

Pronunciation /meɪk/

Translate make into Spanish

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[with object]

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

    ‘my grandmother made a dress for me’
    • ‘the body is made from four pieces of maple’
    • ‘cricket bats are made of willow’
    • ‘His famous vacuum cleaner is made from clear plastic, allowing the owner to see all of the working parts.’
    • ‘He was making something out of a piece of scrap wood.’
    • ‘The remaining aircraft will be brought back into service as new hubs are made.’
    • ‘His house was made of mud and had been almost wiped out, but his fence was perfect.’
    • ‘To celebrate their last day youngsters made their own decorated hats to wear for the occasion.’
    • ‘The roof is made of high quality fabric, and when tucked away, folds into three layers on top of one another.’
    • ‘The propeller is made of extruded, glass-filled nylon and is the usual propeller shape.’
    • ‘To begin to understand how any wine is made we must first look at the composition of the grape.’
    • ‘The body is made of millions of cells, most of them linked together to form tissues.’
    • ‘A silage heap surrounded by the bales also caught fire and a fire break was made using a mechanical digger.’
    • ‘We take our water and mix it with malted barley or grain to make a drink called whisky.’
    • ‘The pommel by and large defines the date of the sword and the site where it was most likely to have been made.’
    • ‘The joke, of course, is that the toothbrush is made out of even harder plastic than the packaging.’
    • ‘You should see the size of the chandeliers here, they must have been made specially.’
    • ‘Fleece is made from polyester and is designed to feel soft, warm and elastic.’
    • ‘The West Indian sauce is made from the exceedingly hot scotch bonnet pepper.’
    • ‘A lab that annually makes or uses 100g or more of these chemicals must declare them.’
    • ‘At the moment he is only using what he can make from domestically available materials.’
    • ‘All the great white wines are made from Chardonnay, all the great reds from Pinot Noir.’
    • ‘He followed this by sitting down and making a besom - a brush made from birch twigs.’
    construct, build, assemble, put together, manufacture, produce, fabricate, create, form, fashion, model, mould, shape, forge, bring into existence
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1make something intoAlter something so that it forms (something else)
      ‘buffalo's milk can be made into cheese’
      • ‘He admits that the theatre production has precipitated a renewed interest in making the complex story into a film.’
      • ‘All the raw materials go to the liver and the liver makes use of those and makes them into proteins.’
      • ‘We would like the public to see how the milk is produced, what different things it can be made into.’
      • ‘It essentially takes a series of complex operations and makes them into a single command.’
      • ‘The Danes are allowed a quota of over a million tonnes of fish a year to be made into fish meal.’
      • ‘If you took all the trees in the world and made them into boxes of matches how many boxes would you have?’
      • ‘During the second step the plant uses the nitrogen compounds and makes them into protein.’
      • ‘Now, when Jesus made the water into wine at the wedding, that's a story.’
      • ‘With his vision, Schumacher made a straightforward story into one of the best psychological thrillers in some time.’
      • ‘It is highly recyclable and is gathered and sold to mainland markets where it is made into new boxes.’
      • ‘Today, oil is pumped from underground oil-filled rock and sent to a refinery where it is made into gasoline.’
      • ‘The collected herbs were sent to drug companies, which made them into botanic drugs.’
      • ‘Jane Austen and William Shakespeare are the two that come to mind immediately, as their works have been made into mostly excellent films.’
      • ‘It's not often that a Los Angeles film company phones to ask if they can make your novel into a film.’
      • ‘Glass is sent to the British Glass Recycling Company in Alloa, where it is made into new bottles and jars.’
      • ‘Harling admits he is excited at the challenge of making the classic show into a film.’
      • ‘By refusing to accept conventional boundaries, this film makes the ordinary into something wonderful.’
      • ‘Now the famous story has been made into a film for television, which is being shown on ITV this month.’
      • ‘She and her sister ironed the photos onto squares of fabric and made them into a quilt for their mother.’
      • ‘Elephant grass is commonly used in a cut-and-carry system, feeding it in stalls, or it is made into silage.’
      formulate, draw up, write, frame, draft, form, enact, pass, lay down, establish, institute, found, originate
      View synonyms
    2. 1.2Compose or draw up (something written or abstract)
      ‘make a list of all the points you can think of’
      • ‘Congress, under the Constitution, is the body that makes laws and regulations governing the armed forces.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘What would be great is if everybody pooled their images and made a new book.’
      • ‘The film is expected to be released by next year and is being made by Titan films.’
      • ‘I was helping a friend work on a video she was making, a very abstract adaptation of that play.’
      • ‘The international cooperation needed to make such a film must be unprecedented.’
      • ‘He also plays electronic music and writes and makes his own short films.’
      • ‘She made a list of supplies and groceries and stared at the balance in her checkbook.’
      • ‘This film has been made by the guy who gave us The Lawnmower Man and Rush Hour.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Videos were made of their activities and circulated to members.’
      • ‘He has made many recordings as a trumpet soloist; this is my first encounter with him as a conductor.’
      • ‘Having found this new shorter format so captivating I set about making my own short film.’
      • ‘Will they make a CD of those songs from the show?’
      • ‘The film will be made in conjunction with the website Moving South and the Hayward Gallery.’
      • ‘It is reported that the couple want to make a Hollywood film of their story.’
      • ‘Although I've made a will, it didn't even occur to me at the time to leave anything to charity.’
      • ‘Just about every tenor has made recordings similar to these, and there's no reason why Domingo shouldn't follow the pack.’
      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
      View synonyms
    3. 1.3Prepare (a dish, drink, or meal)
      ‘she was making lunch for Lucy and Francis’
      • ‘I'll make us both a cup of tea’
      • ‘We set up our trusty camp-cooker in the empty kitchen and made coffee which we drank outside.’
      • ‘He got fruit ready for my lunch and made my breakfast.’
      • ‘I find the flesh of the sweet potato makes a lovely smooth gnocchi so I often make this dish for supper.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Rose left Karrie to making the drinks, and came over to sit on the sofa at the other end to her husband.’
      • ‘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?’
      • ‘Sam had taught her to make a few basic meals and she had found that she rather enjoyed cooking.’
      • ‘I got back in time to make a big vegetable curry which will last many days.’
      • ‘Emily came back an hour ago, stating that she was going to make everyone lunch.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘This dark, spicy, autumnal dish can be made two or three days in advance and kept in the fridge.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Fear not, I have a quick and simple meal that you can make that they'll think you bought!’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘I was exhausted when I got to Neil's, but looking forward to the lovely chicken he'd made for dinner.’
      prepare, get ready, put together, concoct, cook, dish up, throw together, whip up, brew
      View synonyms
    4. 1.4Arrange bedclothes tidily on (a bed) ready for use.
      ‘after breakfast you'd have until 8.25 to make your bed’
      • ‘She made the bed over again, turning the sheets and pillowcases inside out and fluffing the pillows.’
      • ‘According the comments, I don't know how to make a bed properly.’
      • ‘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. 1.5Arrange and light materials for (a fire).
      ‘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).
      • ‘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’
    • ‘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 showroom also has on display some cedar wood carvings which artists have made after a visit to Africa.’
    • ‘To take a peep at what lies beneath that large, flat expanse of ice, you must first make your ice hole, or maina.’
    • ‘He makes sculptures out of clay and bakes them into ceramics in his hometown in Shandong Province.’
    • ‘With a sharp instrument or nail, make marks in the doors at these two points.’
    • ‘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.’
    • ‘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.’
    • ‘Slowly the rock began to move, until a space big enough for Tyler to fit through was made.’
    • ‘A cut is made through the wall of the abdomen to one side of the main incision.’
    cause, create, give rise to, produce, bring about, generate, engender, occasion, effect, set up, establish, institute, found, develop, originate, frame
    View synonyms
    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’
      • ‘One of the steps in making my flat ready for sale is the redecoration of the entire place.’
      • ‘The strong cast is what makes this sometimes mediocre material work as well as it does.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘So I grew my hair very long, took up smoking and tried my hardest to make everyone laugh.’
      • ‘Drew laughed softly to herself, a laugh that made Devlin wonder if she was laughing at him.’
      • ‘Every time I saw his face, it made my loss all the keener.’
      • ‘The steering is light and makes the car very easy to place and manoeuvre around tight spaces.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘The river was low and clear with good light making everything clearly visible.’
      • ‘The council is now looking for new sponsors to come on board to join existing ones and help make the show a huge success.’
      • ‘The blend of old and new features makes this a stylish home with character.’
      • ‘All credit to them for improving our Christmas lights and making Keighley very colourful.’
      • ‘It is a means to an end and exists to make life that little bit easier.’
      • ‘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 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.’
      • ‘The other physics teacher, Mr. Meyer, actually makes the class interesting.’
    2. 2.2Carry out, perform, or produce (a specified action or sound)
      ‘anyone can make a mistake’
      • ‘A spokesman said the changes had been made after the company had taken on board comments at a public meeting about the original proposals.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘We are trying to get them done as speedily as we can and making every effort to bring them to a quick conclusion.’
      • ‘An unsuccessful attempt had also been made to set fire to the main shop building.’
      • ‘My shoes made a soft crunching sound as they crushed the dry, brown grass beneath them.’
      • ‘He moved towards me quietly, his eyes fixed on mine, his footsteps making no sound on the tiled floor.’
      • ‘No decision had yet been made on whether to expand the use of such cameras, he said.’
      • ‘They are against the Bill and hope to make changes before it reaches its final reading.’
      • ‘A decision has yet to be made over whether Corbet Close will join the regeneration scheme.’
      • ‘There is no opening speech from the prosecution and neither side makes closing speeches.’
      • ‘The announcement was made after a proposal from the mayor at the town council meeting on Tuesday.’
      • ‘Sounds to me like you need to make a good few trips to your local charity shop.’
      • ‘Perez declared flatly that he had made a mistake bringing Queiroz to the club in the first place.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘There is a famous tradition of creative breakthroughs being made after a good night's sleep.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Business is so good that Yuen and her partner have to make trips twice a week to bring in new stock.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Several arrests were made after officers found campers carrying weapons.’
      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
      View synonyms
    3. 2.3(in soccer) enable a teammate to score (a goal) by one's play.
      ‘He is exceptional at long balls, crossing and at free kicks and has made goals from all over the park for united.’
      • ‘I made a goal and if I had scored it would have been the icing on the cake for me on my debut.’
      • ‘He is a defender, he is a midfielder but he is also an attacker - a winger who makes and scores goals.’
      • ‘He had shots on goal, made a goal, put in good crosses and did a huge amount defensively.’
      • ‘He scored a wonderful goal, made the second and now all that Redknapp has to do is ensure he stays.’
    4. 2.4Communicate or express (an idea, request, or requirement)
      ‘there are two more points to make’
      • ‘make him an offer he can't refuse’
      • ‘Two senators have complained that you made derogatory remarks about them, and they're asking that you tone it down.’
      • ‘If the parties are unable to agree on costs, written submissions may be made to me.’
      • ‘How kind of you to take the trouble to write and make such a tempting invite.’
      • ‘One can only imagine the offers and entreaties made to screenwriter Simon Beaufoy.’
      • ‘His competitiveness was legendary, and as hard as he was on himself, he made impossible demands on his son.’
      • ‘When an offer was made, even though the union considered it to be an insult, the union did not put it to a vote.’
      • ‘Such a person can be held for six months, then another six, and another, as long as the request is made.’
      • ‘He made his remarks in a BBC interview earlier this week.’
      • ‘She said he requested the ministry to make such an inquiry in one case last November.’
      • ‘An official request has been made to the county council chairman for an extraordinary meeting.’
      • ‘I'm not crazy about the title, but Denning does make some very interesting points.’
      • ‘It has been an interesting experience and I have a few observations to make after years of reader feedback.’
      • ‘I'm at a point right now that if somebody makes me an offer to sell out, I'm likely to listen.’
      • ‘Reportedly, he's close to a deal with the Giants, while the Yankees have yet to make an offer.’
      • ‘In this post, he makes some very interesting and intelligent remarks about underage drinking.’
      • ‘There is one point that Mrs Wood makes that I cannot agree with, however.’
      • ‘I was born and bred in Liverpool and I have to say that I agree with the comments made in The Spectator.’
      • ‘The council hopes neighbours will work at reaching a settlement before making a formal complaint.’
      • ‘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.’
      utter, give, deliver, give voice to, enunciate, recite, pronounce
      View synonyms
    5. 2.5archaic Enter into a contract of (marriage)
      ‘as many sailors do, he made a foolish marriage’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘If body language was anything to go by, this was indeed a marriage made in heaven.’
      • ‘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.’
    6. 2.6with object and complement Appoint or designate (someone) to a position.
      ‘he was made a fellow of the Royal Institute’
      • ‘He became a prominent supporter of Abraham Lincoln, was made a general in the Civil War, and later became a US senator.’
      • ‘Henry II appointed him chancellor and made him his intimate friend and companion.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Former Education Authority senior assistant director Gary Nethercott has also been made an assistant chief executive.’
      appoint, designate, name, nominate, select, elect, vote in, install, place, post
      View synonyms
    7. 2.7with object and complement Represent or cause to appear in a specified way.
      ‘the issue price makes them good value’
      • ‘You have to call it that now so you can identify with it, but it's just old ideas made new again.’
      • ‘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.’
      be, act as, serve as, function as, constitute, perform the function of, do duty for, play the part of, represent, embody, form
      View synonyms
    8. 2.8Cause to be successful.
      ‘the work which made Wordsworth's reputation’
      • ‘You have time still, but you have become old enough for reputations to be made.’
      • ‘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.’

  • 3with object and infinitive Compel (someone) to do something.

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

  • 4Constitute; amount to.

    ‘they made an unusual duo’
    • ‘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.’
    • ‘We made a pretty good team.’
    • ‘The idea of Satan and God waging a bet makes a pretty interesting story.’
    • ‘The results of the survey will make depressing reading for the company's beleaguered shareholders.’
    • ‘Tell them that one and one make two, and they'll insist it makes three.’
    • ‘It usually takes at least two or three people to order enough dishes to make a good Chinese meal.’
    • ‘The history of this fish and its value to Ireland makes an interesting and readable record.’
    • ‘This is true, interesting and important, but doesn't make much of a blog posting.’
    • ‘Roughly eight million bits make a megabyte.’
    • ‘The diary makes a very interesting read, and the author has an admirable sense of humour.’
    be, act as, serve as, function as, constitute, perform the function of, do duty for, play the part of, represent, embody, form
    View synonyms
    1. 4.1Be suitable for or likely to develop into.
      ‘this fern makes a good houseplant’
      • ‘In fact, as the months go by I have begun to see that Hilary would make a far finer wife than the errant Stella.’
      • ‘As a former forward I've my own ideas about what makes a great forward.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘The Alsatian makes a fine herding animal and is a certain winner in obedience trials.’
      • ‘This makes a great dinner-party dish as it can be prepared a day ahead.’
      • ‘We didn't realise at the time that a car seat also makes a very fine rocking chair.’
      • ‘He would have made a great prime minister, if only the media would have gone easier on him.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Now, at 10 months, she would make a fine family pet and could be quite happily kept in a garage.’
      • ‘This image of A Cold Christmas Day would make a really fine Xmas card.’
      • ‘I wish it were as light and soft as it looks; then it would make a really interesting new kind of mattress.’
      • ‘Baker makes an effective human hero and Adams an interesting ally.’
      be, act as, serve as, function as, constitute, perform the function of, do duty for, play the part of, represent, embody, form
      View synonyms
    2. 4.2Consider to be; estimate as.
      ‘How many are there? I make it sixteen’
      • ‘What time do you make it?’
      • ‘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.’
      compute, calculate, work out
      View synonyms
    3. 4.3Agree or decide on (a specified arrangement)
      ‘let's make it 7.30’
      • ‘Please check with Fred Hulmes before making any other arrangements to avoid disappointment.’
      • ‘Let's make it a night for ourselves.’
      • ‘Before we headed toward our trains, we made a lunch date.’
      • ‘The match was so much enjoyed by all concerned that it was unanimously agreed to make this the first of a regular series.’
      • ‘They started talking and before long they had made a date.’
      • ‘The mailing address post office box will remain open for now, until other arrangements are made.’
      • ‘They don't collect our rubbish at all - we have to make separate and costly arrangements.’
      • ‘Details of the scheme will be announced as soon as arrangements have been made.’
      • ‘Since the fire, arrangements have been made to move the family to Wiltshire.’
      • ‘If a few arrangements are made beforehand it can make the bereavement process that much easier.’
      reach, come to, settle on, determine on, conclude, establish, seal
      View synonyms

  • 5Gain or earn (money or profit)

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

  • 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’
    • ‘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.’
    • ‘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.’
    • ‘She only makes it to the terminal thanks to two blokes in a red pickup truck who give her a lift.’
    • ‘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.’
    • ‘I will have to travel a distance to make it there and do not want to find it closed upon arrival.’
    • ‘What will be done to improve them and when can we expect to start making it to our classes on time?’
    • ‘Sorry to mess you around, but I am not in the office again today so will not be able to make the meeting.’
    • ‘Due to some fab driving and running three red lights we made it with two minutes to spare.’
    • ‘Only thing is, we now have to get back to Wimbledon to pick up the car to make a 1pm lunch date in Folkestone!’
    catch, get, arrive in time for, be in time for, arrive at, reach
    View synonyms
    1. 6.1make itBecome successful.
      ‘he waited confidently for his band to make it’
      • ‘Before we made it, he drove a fruit and veg van and then would drive us to all our gigs.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      succeed, be successful, prosper, distinguish oneself, be a success, get ahead, make good
      View synonyms
    2. 6.2make itSucceed in reaching safety or in surviving.
      ‘the pilot didn't make it—his neck's broken’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘In general it tends to be independent travellers and divers who make it to the island.’
      • ‘So you had persons from both ends of the spectrum making it all the way to the White House.’
      • ‘It was used to bury a lot of bomber command crew who had made it home, but didn't survive.’
      • ‘The day before yesterday we all made it up to camp one to spend the night.’
      • ‘Here is a story that limps to its start but then shifts gears and makes it to the finish.’
      • ‘Having made it to the boat, he took a new rope and made it back to the shore successfully.’
      • ‘I know I am very lucky - the three people around me were all killed - I really don't know how I made it.’
      • ‘He's lived longer than the doctors expected - they didn't think he'd make it to November.’
      • ‘Once we finally made it up to the top of the hill, the forest opened up to the lodging area at Punta Marenco.’
      • ‘The rest of team made it up to high camp, joining forces with Todd and Winslow's team.’
      survive, come through, pull through, get better, recover, rally, recuperate
      View synonyms
    3. 6.3Achieve a place in.
      ‘Australia should make the final’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘All of them are men, and we look forward to the day when an Indian woman makes it to the list!’
      • ‘It is one of only three in Hampshire to have made it onto the latest roll of honour.’
      • ‘The move could cost taxpayers a five-figure sum if England makes it as far as the final.’
      • ‘Despite the involvement of 1000 people in the rioting, the story didn't make the front page.’
      • ‘It was a great innovation, great software, and it perhaps should have made it on the list.’
      • ‘The flipside of that is the boost the winner would get from successfully making it to 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.’
      gain a place in, get into, gain access to, enter
      View synonyms
    4. 6.4Achieve the rank of.
      ‘he wasn't going to make captain’
      • ‘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.’
      succeed, be successful, prosper, distinguish oneself, be a success, get ahead, make good
      View synonyms

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

    ‘he struggled to his feet and made towards the car’
    • ‘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.’
    • ‘Mom was the first to get up from her seat and made toward the door.’
    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
    View synonyms
    1. 7.1with infinitive Act as if one is about to perform an action.
      ‘she made as if to leave the room’
      • ‘Chris made to move through the doorway, when he glanced up and looked straight at Sarah.’
      • ‘‘Come on,’ I said, making as though to stand up.’
      • ‘He looks at her helplessly, then makes as if to say something.’
      • ‘The problem had begun a short time earlier, when a guest was making to leave.’
      feign, pretend, give the impression, make a pretence of, make a show of, affect, feint, make out
      View synonyms

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

    • ‘he had been trying to make Cynthia for two years now’
    • ‘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, etc.) win (a trick).

    ‘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.’
    • ‘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.’
    • ‘A contract to make 12 tricks is known as a small slam.’
    1. 9.1Win a trick with (a card).
      • ‘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. 9.2Win the number of tricks that fulfils (a contract).
      ‘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. 9.3Shuffle (cards) for dealing.
      • ‘Peter made the cards and handed them to Stern to deal.’

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

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

noun

  • 1The manufacturer or trade name of a product.

    ‘the make, model, and year of his car’
    • ‘There are many different makes and models of reel, which can be used for this type of zander fishing.’
    • ‘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.’
    • ‘The first was as Purdey, the New Avengers character reputedly named after a make of shotgun.’
    • ‘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.’
    • ‘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?’
    • ‘It should be an interesting race with the key factor being the influence of temperature on both makes of tyres.’
    • ‘The owners of the building refused to reveal which makes of toys had been stored at the warehouse.’
    • ‘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 statistics include registrations of various makes which compete with each other.’
    • ‘There are many proprietary makes of planer on the market but they are all basically the same.’
    • ‘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.’
    • ‘Mark your property with a UV marker pen and take details of the make and model when you buy it.’
    • ‘The frame is UFS which makes it compatible with many other makes of frame out there.’
    • ‘They were different makes and models, but all of them should have been painted yellow.’
    • ‘With so many makes, models and marques on the market, how on earth do you choose which one?’
    brand, marque, model, mark, sort, type, kind, variety, style, label
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1The structure or composition of something.
      • ‘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 negative Be very rich.

      • ‘we're not going to pay for it—we're not made of money’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘However, not everyone is made of money, and for them value will become a much bigger issue.’
      • ‘He thought city people were made of money, and for a time obliged them to pay a dollar for a loaf of bread.’
      • ‘You may be made of money but I'll bet your patients are not.’
      • ‘Unless the user is made of money I doubt anyone will have had this done as the handset is less than 6 months old.’
      • ‘Not being made of money, we made the decision that we would rather spend less and live more.’
      • ‘Not everyone is made of money and people know this.’
      • ‘Lucy just proves you don't need to be made of money to have great style.’
      • ‘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, this was always a very sore time of the year for us.’
    be made up

    • 1Northern English, Irish informal Be delighted.

      • ‘we're made up about the baby’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’

    • 2Irish Be assured of success; be lucky.

      ‘what with the high prices since the war started, we'll be made up if it lasts’
      • ‘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 it made
    informal

    • Be in a position where success is certain.

      • ‘because your dad's a manager, he's got it made’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘From St. Louis to New York City, the Rocky Mountains and rural Washington State, folk music fans have got it made for the summertime.’
      • ‘First, she points out how easy it is for her and me, and others who comparatively have it made, to avoid direct action.’
      • ‘I am very organizationally challenged, but this is one area where I think the guys have got it made.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
    make a day of it

    • Devote a whole day to an activity, especially an enjoyable one.

      ‘He then suggested some sort of an ‘activity’ to make a day of it, like dinner and a movie.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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!’
      • ‘We decided to make a night of it and head out for some drinks.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘The City was making a day of it, and encouraging citizens to bring a packed lunch and enjoy the show.’
      • ‘So if you're in the mood for good food and good music, make a night of it and head down to Fado.’
      • ‘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.’
    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’
      • ‘Kerry was delighted with her gifts from the Rotarians and thanked all of them for making her day.’
      • ‘It's gratifying when you find something for someone and it makes their day.’
      • ‘Britney makes my day when she posts letters, she really does.’
      • ‘‘When I get a customer who is excited by everything and keen to try new things, it just makes my day,’ Ottavio says.’
      • ‘I hope that your letters, emails, comments and questions keep coming because reading them makes my day.’
      • ‘It honestly makes my day when a friend sends me an e-mail.’
      • ‘Sometimes, its the small things that make your day.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘You really made our day in so many ways, I can't list them all… we couldn't have done it without you!’
    make a House
    British

    • 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’
      • ‘People with learning difficulties no longer have to make do with what is available.’
      • ‘Many more channels are available nowadays, even if some of us still make do with the five.’
      • ‘Aided by support staff and by reading specialists, teachers made do with the pedagogical knowledge and skills that were available to them.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘In the meanwhile, James, being a tradesman, has been making do with public transport and lifts from workmates to get around the various jobsites.’
      • ‘Everyone else has developed a mania for making do with less.’
      • ‘A civilization that believes itself capable of making do without other civilizations tends to be headed toward its doom.’
      • ‘But some unlucky arrivals are making do with a mattress on the floor of a large room in a hall of residence.’
      • ‘So far, Holden and Hughes have been making do with a swish flat in the area.’
      • ‘In the meantime, everybody else mends and makes do.’
    make like
    North American informal

    • Pretend to be; imitate.

      • ‘now make like my pants and split’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘He makes like a much saner but less personable Iggy Pop.’
      • ‘Of course this was before she made like Patti LaBelle and got a new attitude.’
      • ‘Marty Anderson, who was on the pro tour at the time, used to make like a bird and pretend to fly.’
      • ‘When they came in, I made like it was my house and that the unexpected-but-very-very-welcome guests had arrived.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘I've been here, blogging away, making like we were the strong, ever-capable parenting-types, when in truth, we're unmitigated failures.’
      • ‘Jones was making like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the aftermath of his sacking, promising that he'll be back.’
      • ‘Miller makes like a guitar hero yet again and Prescott screams about being master of his domain.’
    make do and mend
    British

    • 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’
      • ‘the economic crisis sparked a new make-do-and-mend attitude’
      • ‘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".’
      • ‘Thanks to a crafty grandmother who made do and mended when I lived with her as a child, I've got the bug now.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Ron said: "We were married shortly after the war and you had to make do and mend."’
      • ‘When the club failed to find the right incentives to lure a world class striker, the manager insisted he would make do and mend.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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 we all get back to the "make do and mend" mentality?’
      • ‘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.’
    make or break

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

      ‘the soundtrack can make or break a production’
      • ‘a make-or-break match’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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 a dining companion pointed out, the crust can make or break a pizza, and in this case, it broke it.’
      • ‘TV coverage of elections and governmental affairs can make or break a politician's career.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Social networking has changed the rules of the game and consumers now have the power to make or break a brand.’
    make sail

    • 1Sailing
      Spread a sail or sails.

      ‘To make sail is to spread an additional quantity of sail, so as to increase the ship's velocity.’
      • ‘Stepping their masts and making sail, side by side, the four boats of the Daydream forged steadily ahead.’
      • ‘If called on deck for the purpose of shortening or making sail they should come at once.’
      • ‘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.’
      1. 1.1Start a voyage.
        ‘He had decided to make sail for that point where they had last seen Dolphin.’
        • ‘As Iberville's ships sailed west, Arriola left Francisco Martinez in command and made sail for Mexico.’
        • ‘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.’
        • ‘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.’
        • ‘After she had been on board about an hour, a breeze springing up, we weighed anchor and made sail.’
        • ‘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.’
        • ‘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’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Kevin and I always made time for the occasional dinner date, family outing and romantic vacation.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘I find my biggest problem now is making time for everything.’
      • ‘Plan ahead, make sure you've got time to do everything you need to do while making time to relax and enjoy yourself’
      • ‘He thanked the players and manager for making time to attend before having to rush off to training.’
      • ‘But he still makes time for the important stuff, and thankfully that also includes coming to the Vancouver festival more often.’
      • ‘Of all the tasks you spend time on every day, making time for your family can be the most meaningful.’

    • 2North American informal Make sexual advances to someone.

      • ‘I couldn't make time with Marilyn because she was already a senior’
      • ‘Meanwhile, Ron was trying to make time with a table of ladies.’
      • ‘‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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’
      • ‘At 35 and obviously aging, Roy Jones needs to make up his mind and decide on his future very soon.’
      • ‘He made up his mind to leave Sunday morning and decided to go for another drive.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘I plan to go see the movie myself before making up my mind - though it may be out in video by that time.’
      • ‘And Shelley had made up her mind that this year, her junior year, there was going to be a difference.’
      • ‘Television channels began flashing news that she had made up her mind to refuse the premiership.’
      • ‘He has made up his mind, in future, steadfastly to refuse all proposals, come from what quarter they may.’
    you couldn't make it up
    British

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

      ‘it is so ridiculous, you couldn't make it up’
      • ‘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.’
    put the make on
    North American informal

    • Make sexual advances to (someone)

      • ‘an old flame she thought she could reconnect with put the make on someone else’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Tony Curtis plays his poor, young slave, who runs away to join up with Spartacus after Olivier puts the make on him.’
      • ‘The boys all head for a dance hall, where Scott puts the make on a mousy girl named Connie.’
      • ‘From what he could tell, though, at least Johnny wasn't trying to put the make on her.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
    on the make

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

      • ‘crooked politicians 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.’
      • ‘Mackintosh beckoned from across the park, then sat down next to him like a vagrant 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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Journalists, particularly those on the make, will pursue ‘a story’ with little regard for its effect on the people involved and their families.’
      1. 1.1Looking for a sexual partner.
        • ‘he was always on the make and he had a very quick turnover’
        • ‘The crowd can be a little shaky sometimes (a few too many single people on the make!) but the decor is simply mindbendingly good.’
        • ‘She was obviously on the make for her mother's boyfriend.’
        • ‘Why are some people faithful and others on the make?’
        • ‘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.’
        • ‘This former garage is always buzzing with singles, many who seem 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.’
        • ‘Evie is always on the make - seducing boys, girls, young men, and Tracy's mother.’
        • ‘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?’
        • ‘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.’
    make way

    • 1Allow room for someone or something else.

      ‘the land is due to be concreted over to make way for a car park’
      • ‘‘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.’
      • ‘The historic market, at the heart of town life for centuries, will be leaving the town for good to make way for redevelopment.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Two houses would have to be demolished to make way for the scheme.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Since then vast tracts of fields and woodlands have disappeared to make way for housing and other development.’
      • ‘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.’

    • 2Nautical
      Make progress; travel.

      ‘water slapped along the hull as we begin to make way’
      • ‘The Hornet set sail and made way for the launch point Southeast of Japan's coast line.’
      • ‘Seeing the sun beginning to set he made way for his balcony.’
      • ‘Henrietta, shouldering an opened parasol, followed the tapping of Josh's cane as they made way slowly to the pier.’
      • ‘On deck, he made way toward William, who he saw as soon as he came.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘After trading our purchased drink tickets for beers, we made way to the complimentary buffet.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Alan clutched his bag and made way to the door.’
    make a night of it

    • Devote a whole night to an activity, especially an enjoyable one.

Phrasal Verbs

    make after
    dated

    • Pursue (someone).

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

    • 1Move or head towards (a place)

      ‘I made for the life raft and hung on for dear life’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Parliament decided to use its army to cut off Rupert's lines of support and so moved off the moor and made for Tadcaster.’
      • ‘He tottered blindly towards the bar like a camel making for an oasis after a hard day at the office.’
      • ‘He ordered us to go and we moved into a jog, making for our destination.’
      • ‘But finding his army outflanked by Cromwell, he moved south in August, making for the old royalist strongholds of Wales and the west midlands.’
      • ‘She pushed past him, making for the entrance in the rock through which her guide had disappeared.’
      • ‘Inside, he waved Susan towards his rocking chair and made for the kitchen.’
      • ‘The invasion force making for Midway was ineffectually attacked on 3 June, and Midway was heavily bombed on the following day.’
      • ‘I opened the door and out he dashed, making for his favourite hiding place.’
      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
      View synonyms
      1. 1.1Approach (someone) to attack them.
        ‘He pushed forward and made for the woman with the guitar.’
        • ‘He began to heave the books at her, and when he ran out of books she made for him again.’
        • ‘He grunted in anger and made for them again, and Mike pushed him back once more.’

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

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

    • 3be made forBe eminently suited for (a particular function or person)

      ‘a man made for action’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Because they worked at this - at whatever it was, the one thing they were made for.’
      • ‘The second of the two links is the sort of collaborative project that the internet 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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Have you ever felt like there was one person in this world you were made for?’
      • ‘This is much better than the arms folded brigade stood there nodding appreciatively - this is what music was made for.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘That's what Las Vegas was made for, to get illegal money back into circulation again.’
    make away with

    • 1Carry (something) away illicitly.

      ‘he smashed a glass case and made away with a number of items of jewellery’
      • ‘A sweet and submissive mantrap, Irina ultimately makes away with an art collection, most of the petty cash, and the show.’
      • ‘I felt bad as I could not do anything to prevent the robbers from making away with our valuables.’
      • ‘She said her attackers gagged her mouth and tied her to the bed before making away with the property.’
      • ‘The thieves waited for the interval between the security men leaving the gallery and the alarm being set before making away with the pictures.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘The process continues and the employee makes away with increasingly larger amounts of money, involving more and more accounts.’
      • ‘When he was trying to clean the stains with a piece of cloth, they made away with the cash bag kept in the vehicle.’
      • ‘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’
        • ‘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.’
        • ‘What good is the band if the lead singer makes away with himself.’
        • ‘She heard that her son had been a coward and unworthy of her, and when he arrived, she made away with him.’
        • ‘Afterwards, at Bedriacum, Placentia and other camps, high and low made away with themselves in the same way.’
        • ‘It was while they were making away with the second daughter that they were arrested.’
        • ‘Up till then, individual efforts to make away with him had been made, and all had failed.’
    make something of

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

      ‘he makes little of America's low investment rates’
      • ‘MacDowell is well aware of all of this, but makes too little of these interrelated developments.’
      • ‘Few artists have ever made more of their ethnic and cultural origins than Toledo.’
      • ‘They have made much of the fact that their currency is the oldest in the world.’
      • ‘I don't understand why nothing was made of my case.’
      1. 1.1Understand the meaning or character of.
        ‘he wasn't sure what to make of Sue’
        • ‘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.’
        • ‘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’
      • ‘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 added: ‘We need to trace anyone who saw the assault, or the suspect making off.’’
      • ‘The father-of-two said he had seen the criminals making off down the cycle path.’
      • ‘He was seen kicking her on the ground, before making off in the direction of Clapham Old Town.’
      • ‘Terrified workers fled into a store room at the sight of the men who ransacked the cash till and safe before making off.’
      • ‘The robber stole cash before making off on foot and turning left in the direction of Braintree.’
      • ‘This time the men stole jewellery and money before making off towards the town centre.’
      • ‘The man took hold of the woman's handbag and dragged her to the floor before making off on foot.’
      • ‘He eventually came to a stop in Chestnut Avenue, and tried to make off on foot, but he was surrounded by officers.’
    make off with

    • Carry (something) away illicitly.

      ‘burglars made off with all their wedding presents’
      • ‘Burglars made off with around £5,000 in cash after breaking in to a Kendal hotel safe.’
      • ‘The two intruders made off with a hi-fi and other electrical equipment.’
      • ‘Her mysterious assailant made off with the cash and a stale Danish pastry.’
      • ‘A thief made off with nearly £1000 from the homes of two elderly women in Chelmsford last week.’
      • ‘Police reported a slew of burglaries in which the culprits entered homes while occupants slept, stealing whatever they could make off with.’
      • ‘Thieves made off with a couple of masterpieces while museum-goers watched in disbelief.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘They plan to rob a cash transport truck carrying $2,000,000, but Sami foils the heist and makes off with the money.’
      • ‘She said that the salon already had internal shutters which did not stop thieves making off with £8,000 worth of stock.’
    make out
    informal

    • 1Make progress; fare.

      • ‘how are you making out, now that the summer's over?’
      • ‘Newton, who took on the biggest risk back in 1984, made out pretty well, too.’
      • ‘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.’

    • 2North American Kiss and caress amorously.

      • ‘teenagers were making out on the couch’
      • ‘Ernie was making out with Berenice’
      • ‘There were dozens of times when I had walked into a room only to find him making out with some random chick.’
      • ‘She and her boyfriend were photographed making out on a yacht.’
      • ‘He has taken her for several dates downtown where they have been making out at every opportunity.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘When you break up with a guy, you're not supposed to keep making out after!’
      • ‘Or it could turn out that you get bored with the movie and wind up making out on the couch.’
      • ‘She'd come into his room and found him making out with one of the cheerleaders at her school.’
      • ‘He seemed too interested in making out with her than actually talking about what had happened.’
      • ‘He goes around making out with a bunch of other girls trying to find a replacement for me!’
    make someone or something out

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

      ‘in the dim light it was difficult to make out the illustration’
      • ‘The blurriness in his eyes made it difficult to read but eventually he managed to make it out.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘Even at 200 feet, it was extremely hard to make them out.’
      • ‘It was difficult to make them out though as their faces seemed to shine so brightly.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘He squinted at it, trying hard to make it out in the dark.’
      • ‘I squint through the glare of the floodlights and struggle to make her out in the window.’
      • ‘Downstairs, in the gloom, you can just make out the figures of two large men.’
      1. 1.1Understand the character or motivation of.
        ‘I can't make her out—she's so inconsistent’
        • ‘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?’

    • 2with infinitive or clause Assert; represent.

      ‘I'm not as bad as I'm made 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!’
      • ‘It is not as difficult as you first make it out to be.’
      • ‘Flanagan writes with verve and vim, but she's not as single-minded as her critics make her out to be.’
      • ‘Going after a man, explains Baisden, isn't as hard as people make it 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.’
      • ‘Shields insists things were never as bad as people make out.’
      • ‘We are bright, intelligent people, not simply the stiletto-wearing bimbos that you make us 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.’
      • ‘I don't think the set-piece is as bad as some people seem to be making out.’
      • ‘While things are not perfect, they are not quite as black and white as many are making out.’
      1. 2.1Try to give a specified impression; pretend.
        ‘he made out he was leaving’
        • ‘Anyway, at the end of the discussion Robbie was making out that they had settled everything.’
        • ‘We had half a page in the local paper, who made out they had discovered the whole story.’
        • ‘He makes out that he's sick, so Dan immediately decides to can the trip (much to his fiancée's chagrin).’
        • ‘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.’
        • ‘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 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.’
        • ‘I made out I was a big time player, willing to provide some funding in return for a cut of the action.’
        • ‘Michael made out he didn't hear him.’
        feign, pretend, give the impression, make a pretence of, make a show of, affect, feint, make out
        View synonyms

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

      ‘send a cheque made out to Trinity College’
      • ‘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 looks like Charlotte made the list out for her.’
      • ‘The contract of carriage shall be confirmed by the making out of a consignment note.’
      • ‘It's claimed that he's altered checks made out to his charitable organisation.’
      • ‘It is understood that three bank drafts were made out to ‘bearer’ for £25,000 each.’
      • ‘The date span of the cheques overlaps the latter period of the invoices and they are made out to the corporate defendant.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘The net result is that every year a cheque is made out to the Leukaemia Unit at St James' Hospital.’
      formulate, frame, draw up, devise, make out, prepare, compile, compose, put together
      View synonyms
    make someone over

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

      ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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?’
      • ‘‘We're going to make you over,’ Kendall said, sitting me down in a chair.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘My hair is a dirty-dishwater color,’ wrote Hope, in giving us reasons to make her over.’
      • ‘Agents are experts at recognizing raw talents but may make you over to fit with the look of the moment.’
      • ‘The team will pick audience members and make them over, sharing their expertise and tricks of the trade.’
    make up

    • Be reconciled after a quarrel.

      ‘let's kiss and make up’
      • ‘As Paul and Heather prepare to do battle, another celebrity is apparently kissing and making up.’
      • ‘The wealthy couple were later seen having a lover's tiff before kissing and making up on the dance floor.’
      • ‘They argue almost constantly, only stopping occasionally to hug and kiss and pretend to 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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘I'd have no chance of creating an even bigger rift between them if they kissed and made up.’
      • ‘At the end of it all, you swap shirts, shake hands, make up and go home.’
      • ‘She trails kisses up his neck and soon the two are making up in the kitchen tangled around each other.’
      • ‘Here are some really great ideas on making up with your sweetheart after an argument.’
    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’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘You have the property, you are living in the property, you have not made anything over to your former partner, nor your children.’
      • ‘The property would not be made over to Mr Kirk, but on the other hand must be made safe for Thomas and his family.’
    make someone up

    • Apply cosmetics to oneself or another.

      as adjective made up ‘heavily made-up women in short skirts’
      • ‘With the help of fellow female team members, Adam was made up and dressed up for the strut down the catwalk.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘She's made-up and luminous in all black, and her husband is sitting close to her.’
      • ‘Tony, a couple of months ago, you made me up and made me look like somebody else.’
      • ‘After she had finished making up her mother's face, Caroline smiled at her young daughter.’
    make up to
    British informal

    • 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’
      • ‘I bet she was making up to the master.’
      • ‘Harry made up to her shamelessly.’
    make with
    US informal

    • Proceed to use or supply.

      • ‘make with the feet, honey—you're embarrassing Jim’
      • ‘If you would like to compare and contrast how he looked three weeks ago, make with the clicking on this here link.’
      • ‘The sunset was making with the umbrella-drink colors, the low-rent-tropical stuff.’
      • ‘You've tried to kill our friends and you've threatened us, but now you're trying to make with the friendly talk.’
      • ‘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.’
    make something up

    • 1also make up forCompensate for something lost, missed, or deficient.

      ‘I'll make up the time tomorrow’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘And that means we can either raise prices to cover the lost revenue, or lower prices and hope to make it up on volume.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘In later years, she made up for this lost time, never missing an opportunity to add to her infamy.’
      1. 1.1make it up toCompensate someone for negligent or unfair treatment.
        ‘I'll try to make it up to you in the future’
        • ‘I will do everything I can to make it up to them, but I know that no amount of compensation is enough.’
        • ‘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.’
        • ‘Not that I was making it up to her or anything, but I went into the Department Store and got her a present.’
        • ‘This week he's making it up to her by buying her flowers at Rachael's suggestion.’
        • ‘I am extremely angry about this and will make it up to you.’
        • ‘Let her know you're bugged, and give her the opportunity to make it up to you.’
        • ‘When I asked her what I could do to make it up to her, she said, Write me a poem.’
        • ‘We want to try to make it up to our subscribers for the anxiety and the hassle of having to exchange their tickets.’
        • ‘We ended up making it up to Casey by taking her hiking twice and camping at the beach later in the month.’
        • ‘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.’
        • ‘Trying to ignore Darci as she made her pitiful attempts to make it up with Sarah, and Kane and his all too happy attitude.’

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

      ‘women make up 56 per cent of the student body’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘A lot of different aspects make up the constitution of a football player.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.’
      • ‘Obviously, the film is as much about the boys who make up the team as their coach.’
      • ‘Amino acids are the fundamental building blocks of life, making up the proteins which constitute all living cells.’
      • ‘The only marks in the composition are geometric shapes made up of thin lines that seem to be carved into the paint.’
      • ‘One of our first steps has been to establish a cycling development team made up of officers from all areas of the council.’
      1. 2.1Complete an amount or group.
        ‘he brought along a girl to make up a foursome’
        • ‘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.’
        • ‘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.’
        • ‘Including a bottle of Pellegrino, the bill came to a modest €69.80 and I rather gauchely made it up to €79.30.’
        • ‘Allithwaite were two players short so Ambleside made up their team.’
        • ‘The venture has proved so popular that there are enough students taking part in training to make up two teams.’
        • ‘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.’

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

      ‘make up the mortar to a consistency that can be moulded in the hands’
      • ‘We subsequently found out that the Austrian and German menu items are made up locally by an expert using genuine ingredients and traditional recipes.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘I make up a cocktail of vitamins and minerals and feed this to the shrimps.’
      1. 3.1Get an amount or group together.
        ‘he was trying to make up a party to go dancing’
        • ‘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.’
        • ‘To make up a team, Alsager teacher Lindsay Purcell recruited a number of footballers.’
        • ‘Searching for coins, they made the sum up between them.’
      2. 3.2Prepare a bed for use with fresh bedclothes.
        ‘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. 3.3Printing Arrange text and illustrations into pages.
        • ‘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’
      • ‘In fact they think I just made the whole story up to get out of trouble.’
      • ‘I'm guessing you were making it up to illustrate your point.’
      • ‘Under cross examination by Louise Blackwell, defending, Miss X denied making her account up.’
      • ‘I don't think such an outrageous story could be made up.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘The narrator explains that all these stories are made up, but they are true anyway, because they explain what Vietnam was like.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘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.’
      • ‘When I got home my parents didn't believe me and said that I had made the whole story up.’
      • ‘Most of what is in the story is made up but every once in a while there will pop up something that really happened.’

Origin

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