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to make

to make

∞ 1.0
To reach a place or achieve a goal
  • verb
  • /meɪk/
: llegar a
  • How did these people make their way to Ohio?
  • make progress
  • make one's way
  • make gains

How did these people make their way to Ohio?

Examples

  • I think I can make it work.

  • You're gonna dance, Queens, and make us win that contest.

  • But the question is, will we make the effort or not?

  • It's probably best that I make a start on that.

  • We are going to make our country great again.

  • And then say, OK, well, let's make that real over here.

  • You explore it and make your choice, not theirs.

  • Why don't you make for the border now?

  • She's a newish transfer student, and I want her to make friends with the right people.

  • After a long journey, we finally made it to the top of the mountain.

Synonyms

to get to
vsto make
∞ 2.4

Reach a goal, place, or state after effort

is the neutral general term for arriving at or achieving something
to reach
vsto make
∞ 1.1

Get to a place, level, or goal after effort

is the general verb covering arrival or successful attainment
to hit
vsto make
∞ 2.5

To reach a target or goal

is the broader verb without implying suddenness or force
to achieve
vsto make
∞ 2.3

To reach a goal by effort or skill

also covers simple arrival or reaching a standard, not only accomplishment
to gain
vsto make
913 1.4

To get something useful, often by effort, like money or skills

is the general verb for arriving or achieving a place or goal
to make it to
vsto make
562 3.7

To arrive at a place or event even with problems

is the wider verb that covers arriving or meeting a goal without that struggle
to arrive at
vsto make
431 2.1

Reach a place, for example a station, or come to a decision after thinking

is more general and also covers achieving nonphysical goals or standards
to attain
vsto make
106 3.9

To reach a level, place, or goal after hard work

is broader and can mean arrival or success without stressing effort
to progress to
vsto make
7 3.6

Move on to a higher level after getting better

focuses on the end state rather than the process of moving forward

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Not succeed in doing something you wanted to do

80 3.1

A failure to hit or reach a target

Idioms

61 3.0

To give someone a lot of happiness, often by a small kind act

to make or break
  • Informal
44 4.5

Decide whether something is a complete success or failure

Relax and act like you are at home

Move parts of your face to show dislike, pain, or to be funny

to make my day
  • Informal
28 5.6

To give someone great happiness

To reduce an amount like cost or work in an obvious way

22 4.9

To earn a lot of money very quickly and easily

Get a lot of attention in an exciting way

15 3.4

To become friendly again after an argument

The most important thing that makes life keep going, like money or love

To reach the level needed to succeed

to make hay
  • Informal
10 6.6

To use a good chance to get an advantage

Cause a strong feeling of fear or disgust with a creepy physical feeling

9 7.4

To cause someone to feel confused or overwhelmed by too much information

8 4.1

To get noticed for your work in an area, for example in art or business

to make a stink
  • Informal
8 6.8

Complain loudly in public to get attention

7 7.7

To tell someone to hurry

Say something openly and directly without hiding it

To marry a woman, often after a romantic or sexual relationship, to make the relationship legal and respected

5 7.0

To leave someone feeling overwhelmed or confused by too much information

4 6.3

To spend the whole evening enjoying yourself

2 8.4

Make someone look silly in front of other people by tricking or embarrassing them

2 8.3

Act as if something is much more difficult or important than it is

Treat a small problem as if it were very serious

2 8.4

Get a lot of money or things by luck

Work well together as a team and achieve great results

2 5.3

Cause a strong fear or surprise that gives you goosebumps

Turn a bad situation into something good

To surprise someone very much

Act while a good chance is still there

to make a boo-boo
  • Baby Talk
1 8.4

To do something wrong by accident in a small, silly way

To do something that makes both people look foolish

To look and act in a sexy way for a camera

To tell the whole truth about something wrong you did

1 9.1

To pass urine from the body

Have a strong influence on a group's mood or decisions

To find the good side in something you cannot avoid

Turn something of low quality into something valuable

1 9.1

To cause very deep sadness or wonder that makes angels cry

To take the lead in a group or activity and get others to follow

To accept the bad results of your own choices

To run away quickly, usually because you are afraid

Act in a way that makes you look silly or embarrassed

To leave a place quickly, often as a joke

Do something very badly and spoil how it turns out

1 9.9

To leave quickly in a playful way

1 8.1

To not be important in a situation

Try hard to do a difficult task and succeed a little

1 4.8

Get recognition and success in a field

to make a boob
  • Archaic
1 8.2

To do something foolish or embarrassing by mistake

1 7.9

Act quickly but carefully to avoid mistakes

1 9.9

Cause great sadness or disappointment, often as a joke

Phrasal Verbs

∞ 1.1

Check or do something so you are sure about it

∞ 1.4

To be easy to understand and seem reasonable

To choose between different options after thinking

∞ 1.2

To get money by working or running a business

to make it
  • Informal
∞ 3.4

To survive after danger or a serious problem

824 3.2

Invent a story or excuse that is not true

Cause a clear, positive change in a situation or person

562 3.7

To arrive at a place or event even with problems

552 2.8

Do work you missed to catch up

to make it
  • Informal
540 3.4

To become very successful in a job or career

To choose what to do after thinking about the options

Help someone feel happier when they are sad or sick

to make fun of
  • Offensive
392 2.3

Laugh at someone or say things that make them feel embarrassed

388 5.3

Have sex with someone you love or care about

340 2.7

Be the parts that form a whole

321 1.3

To make a sound that is loud or easy to hear

312 1.0

Begin to be friendly with someone

Cause someone to feel amused by saying or doing something funny

263 8.1

To kiss and touch someone in a sexual way

212 1.0

To phone someone

to make it
  • Informal
199 3.2

To pass a test or be chosen in a selection

To show an opinion in public by what you wear or do

174 3.7

Help to cause something to happen

159 3.2

To start doing something yourself after waiting or thinking

Get something you want by working to reach it

Do something kind for someone to show you are sorry for making them unhappy

To decide what to do in an important situation

131 2.8

To get in touch with someone after a time without talking

124 2.6

Put makeup on your face to change how you look

123 3.4

To stop arguing and become friendly again

to make out
  • Informal
118 3.7

To manage or get by during a difficult time

117 2.6

Tidy a bed or room so it looks neat

116 4.6

To see, hear, or understand something when it is hard

Try to do something on purpose because it is important

To allow someone or something to do what they could not before

90 3.5

Find time for something important by changing other plans

To do something important that people will remember for a long time

Cause someone to feel happy or amused

To give reasons to support or oppose an idea

81 2.7

Become friends again after a fight

to make news
  • Literature
79 3.4

To get attention by appearing in news reports

Create something of the highest quality

to make out
  • Informal
72 6.0

To pretend or claim something is true when it is not

to make headlines
  • Literature
70 3.2

To get a lot of attention in the news

To do something to fix a mistake and show you are sorry

Go to an event, often briefly or in a formal way

61 2.3

Move aside to let a person or vehicle pass

60 2.9

To help something become bigger or better over time

To earn a lot of money, often in a short time

58 3.5

To live on a small amount of money

Pretend something is real for fun or play

54 2.8

Give a formal talk to people at a public or special event

to make a scene
  • Informal
53 4.9

Act loudly in public to show strong feeling and get attention

48 3.7

Use what you have even if it is not enough

44 3.9

To keep a promise

43 3.7

To write all needed information on a form or document

To become popular or successful again after a time away

Keep a promise or pay what you owe

Always do something because you think it is important

To cause a situation to become more difficult or unpleasant

To take action that causes events or results

Complain loudly about something small

To be chosen to join a team after a test or tryout

35 5.3

To try to escape quickly, often by running

To make slow progress when it is difficult

Find time to do something even when busy

To punish someone to warn other people not to do the same

Publicly say you strongly agree or disagree with something

to make it big
  • Informal
26 4.1

Become very successful in a job or career

To treat something as silly and show no respect

Sit down and relax as if you are at home

25 3.6

To briefly say something about a person or thing

To give up something important to help other people or reach a long-term goal

Compounds

139 2.0

Things people put on their face or body to change how they look

36 3.7

Imaginary and made to seem real for play or stories

20 3.2

Play in which people pretend and imagine stories and roles

14 4.2

The parts that form a person, group or thing

6 3.5

An event that takes place later to replace one cancelled or missed

3 8.4

Tasks given mainly to keep someone busy instead of producing useful results

1 5.7

A temporary thing used instead of what you need

How Successful

to achieve
∞ 2.3
to make
∞ 1.0
to reach
∞ 1.1
to get to
∞ 2.8

Surface Forms

make infinitive
making present participle
makes third person singular
made past
made past participle

Etymology

Make comes from the Old English macian, which meant 'to do'. So to make it to a place means to succeed in getting there or to reach your goal.