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What does "make" mean?

In addition to the idioms beginning with make, also see absence makes the heart grow fonder; all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy; can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear; can't make head or tail of; kiss and make up; many hands make light work; might makes right; on the make; practice makes perfect; put in (make) an appearance; put the make on; run for it, make a; that makes two of us; two wrongs do not make a right; what makes one tick. Also see under made.

See make in WNW Idioms

make a fool (or an ass, etc.) of

to cause to seem a fool (or an ass, etc.)

make after

to chase or follow

make a meal on

or make a meal of

to eat as a meal

make as if

or make as as though

to behave as if

make away with

to steal
to get rid of
to eat all of
to kill

make believe

to pretend; act a part

make do

to get along, or manage, with what is available

make for

to head for; go toward
to charge at; attack
to tend toward; help effect

make good

to give or do something as a substitute for; repay or replace
to fulfill
to succeed in doing; accomplish
to be successful
to prove

make it

Informal to do or achieve a certain thing
â Slang to have sexual intercourse (with)

make like

Slang to imitate; impersonate

make off

to go away; run away

make off with

to steal

make or break

to cause the success or failure of

make out

to see or hear with some difficulty but clearly enough to understand
to understand
to write out
to fill out (as a blank form)
to show or prove to be
to try to show, affirm, or imply to be
to succeed; get along
â Slang
1. to kiss and caress as lovers
2. to have sexual intercourse

make over

to change; renovate
to transfer the ownership of by or as by signing a legal document
Informal to be demonstrative toward or about

make someone's day

Slang to give pleasure that will be the high point of someone's day

make something of

to find a use for
to treat as of great importance
â Informal to make an issue of

make up

to put together; compose; compound
to form; constitute
to invent; create
to complete by providing what is lacking
to compensate (for)
to arrange
1. to become friendly again after a disagreement or quarrel
2. to settle (an argument or differences) in a friendly manner
1. to put on what is required for a role in a play, as a costume, wig, greasepaint, rouge, powder, etc.
2. to put cosmetics on
to resolve or decide (one's mind)
to select and arrange type, illustrations, etc. for (a book, magazine, page, etc.)
â Educ. to take again (an examination or course that one has failed) or to take (an examination that one has missed)

make up to

to flatter, or try to be agreeable to, in order to become friendly or intimate with

make with

Slang

to use, or do something with, in the way indicated or implied
to produce or supply to make with the jokes

on the make

Informal trying to succeed financially, socially, etc., esp. in an aggressive way
Slang seeking a lover

put the make on

Slang to make sexual advances to

make a fool (or an ass, etc.) of

to cause to seem a fool (or an ass, etc.)

make after

to chase or follow

make a meal on

or make a meal of

to eat as a meal

make as if

or make as as though

to behave as if

make away with

to steal
to get rid of
to eat all of
to kill

make believe

to pretend; act a part

make do

to get along, or manage, with what is available

make for

to head for; go toward
to charge at; attack
to tend toward; help effect

make good

to give or do something as a substitute for; repay or replace
to fulfill
to succeed in doing; accomplish
to be successful
to prove

make it

Informal to do or achieve a certain thing
â Slang to have sexual intercourse (with)

make like

Slang to imitate; impersonate

make off

to go away; run away

make off with

to steal

make or break

to cause the success or failure of

make out

to see or hear with some difficulty but clearly enough to understand
to understand
to write out
to fill out (as a blank form)
to show or prove to be
to try to show, affirm, or imply to be
to succeed; get along
â Slang
1. to kiss and caress as lovers
2. to have sexual intercourse

make over

to change; renovate
to transfer the ownership of by or as by signing a legal document
Informal to be demonstrative toward or about

make someone's day

Slang to give pleasure that will be the high point of someone's day

make something of

to find a use for
to treat as of great importance
â Informal to make an issue of

make up

to put together; compose; compound
to form; constitute
to invent; create
to complete by providing what is lacking
to compensate (for)
to arrange
1. to become friendly again after a disagreement or quarrel
2. to settle (an argument or differences) in a friendly manner
1. to put on what is required for a role in a play, as a costume, wig, greasepaint, rouge, powder, etc.
2. to put cosmetics on
to resolve or decide (one's mind)
to select and arrange type, illustrations, etc. for (a book, magazine, page, etc.)
â Educ. to take again (an examination or course that one has failed) or to take (an examination that one has missed)

make up to

to flatter, or try to be agreeable to, in order to become friendly or intimate with

make with

Slang

to use, or do something with, in the way indicated or implied
to produce or supply to make with the jokes

on the make

Informal trying to succeed financially, socially, etc., esp. in an aggressive way
Slang seeking a lover

put the make on

Slang to make sexual advances to

See make in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Idioms

on the make

Slang

Aggressively striving for financial or social improvement: a young executive on the make.
Eagerly seeking a sexual partner.

make waves

Slang

To cause a disturbance or controversy.

make way

To give room for passage; move aside.
To make progress.

make (one's) peace with

To bring oneself to accept; reconcile oneself to.

make (one's) way

To go forward; advance.
To succeed, especially in making a living.

make sail

To begin a voyage.
To set sail.

make sense

To be coherent or intelligible: an explanation that made sense.
To be practical or advisable: It makes sense to go now.

make something of

To start a fight or quarrel over.

make the grade

To measure up to a given standard.

make the most of

To use to the greatest advantage.

make the scene

Slang

To put in an appearance: made the scene at the party.
To participate in a specified activity: made the drug scene.

make time

To travel speedily.
To travel at a specified rate: We made good time getting to town.

Slang

To make progress toward attracting someone: tried to make time with the new neighbor.

make tracks

Slang

To move or leave in a hurry.

make up (one's) mind

To decide between alternatives; come to a definite decision or opinion.

make much of

To treat as of great importance.

make no bones about

To be forthright and candid about; acknowledge freely: They make no bones about their dislike for each other.

make off with

To snatch or steal: made off with the profits.

make (one's) day

To give one great pleasure.

make hay

To turn to one's advantage: The candidate's opponents made hay of the scandal.

make heads or tails of

To understand: I couldn't make heads or tails of the report.

make history

To do something memorable or spectacular enough to influence the course of history: The first space flight made history.

make it

Informal

To achieve a goal; be successful. finally made it as an actor.

Slang

To have sexual intercourse.

make light of

To treat as unimportant: He made light of his illness.

make love

To engage in amorous caressing.
To engage in sexual intercourse.

make good

To carry out successfully: made good his escape.
To fulfill: made good her promise.
To make compensation for; make up for: made good the loss.
To succeed: made good as a writer.

make a face

To distort the features of the face; grimace.

make a go of

To achieve success in: have made a go of the business.

make away with

To carry off; steal.
To use up or consume.
To kill or destroy.

make believe

To pretend.

make bold

To venture: I will not make so bold as to criticize such a scholar.

make book

To accept bets on a race, game, or contest.

make do

To manage to get along with the means available: had to make do on less income.

make ends meet

To manage so that one's means are sufficient for one's needs.

make eyes

To ogle.

make fun of

To mock; ridicule.

make a clean breast of

To confess fully.

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