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to make

to make

1.0
To reach a place or achieve a goal
  • verb
  • /meɪk/
translation icon : 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 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
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 hit
vsto make
870 2.5

To reach a target or goal

is the broader verb without implying suddenness or force
to make it to
vsto make
431 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
320 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
110 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
9 3.6

Move on to a higher level after getting better

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

Antonyms

898 1.0

Not succeed in doing something you wanted to do

73 3.1

A failure to hit or reach a target

Idioms

Act in a way that makes you look silly or embarrassed

To become successful and have a better life by working hard

Relax and act like you are at home

To become known for what you do by working hard

to make or break
  • Informal
26 4.5

Decide whether something is a complete success or failure

to make my day
  • Informal
23 5.6

To give someone great happiness

21 4.9

To earn a lot of money very quickly and easily

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

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

12 3.4

To become friendly again after an argument

11 4.1

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

Get a lot of attention in an exciting way

Decide or think of things during a situation without planning ahead

10 7.7

To tell someone to hurry

To reach the level needed to succeed

7 8.5

To act in a way that makes you look foolish in front of others

Say something openly and directly without hiding it

6 7.0

To cause someone to feel very angry

to make hay
  • Informal
5 6.6

To use a good chance to get an advantage

4 7.0

To leave someone feeling overwhelmed or confused by too much information

to make a stink
  • Informal
4 6.8

Complain loudly in public to get attention

Treat a small problem as if it were very serious

3 6.3

To spend the whole evening enjoying yourself

3 8.4

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

3 7.4

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

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

2 8.4

Get a lot of money or things by luck

2 3.0

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

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

To tell the whole truth about something wrong you did

to make a boo-boo
  • Baby Talk
1 8.4

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

1 9.1

To pass urine from the body

1 8.3

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

1 7.6

To eat or drink too much

Act while a good chance is still there

Turn a bad situation into something good

to make a boob
  • Archaic
1 8.2

To do something foolish or embarrassing by mistake

1 7.5

To behave so others notice you in an embarrassing way

Do something very badly and spoil how it turns out

To do something that makes both people look foolish

1 9.9

Cause great sadness or disappointment, often as a joke

To find the good side in something you cannot avoid

To look and act in a sexy way for a camera

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

Nice clothes make a person look more impressive

To accept the bad results of your own choices

7.8

To be very funny in a silly way that makes people laugh

To run away quickly, usually because you are afraid

Try hard to do a difficult task and succeed a little

to make a sally
  • Literature
9.0

To go out quickly on a short trip with a clear purpose

To do something badly so it goes wrong

Turn something of low quality into something valuable

Phrasal Verbs

1.1

Check or do something so you are sure about it

972 3.2

Invent a story or excuse that is not true

858 1.4

To be easy to understand and seem reasonable

Say something so other people understand what you mean

Cause a clear, positive change in a situation or person

477 1.2

To get money by working or running a business

431 3.7

To arrive at a place or event even with problems

to make it
  • Informal
377 3.2

To pass a test or be chosen in a selection

Help someone feel happier when they are sad or sick

to make it
  • Informal
311 3.4

To survive after danger or a serious problem

to make fun of
  • Offensive
307 2.3

Laugh at someone or say things that make them feel embarrassed

296 5.3

Have sex with someone you love or care about

To choose what to do after thinking about the options

252 2.8

Do work you missed to catch up

Cause someone to feel amused by saying or doing something funny

239 2.7

Be the parts that form a whole

to make it
  • Informal
207 3.4

To become very successful in a job or career

To choose between different options after thinking

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

Get something you want by working to reach it

134 1.0

Begin to be friendly with someone

130 8.1

To kiss and touch someone in a sexual way

129 3.5

Try to do something on purpose because it is important

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

119 3.7

Help to cause something to happen

119 3.2

To start doing something yourself after waiting or thinking

113 2.8

To get in touch with someone after a time without talking

109 4.6

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

Decide after thinking about the choices

To decide what to do in an important situation

To phone someone

89 3.4

To stop arguing and become friendly again

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

79 2.6

Put makeup on your face to change how you look

77 2.7

Become friends again after a fight

70 3.9

To keep a promise

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

Create something of the highest quality

To give reasons to support or oppose an idea

57 2.3

Move aside to let a person or vehicle pass

56 3.5

To live on a small amount of money

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

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

Cause someone to feel happy or amused

49 3.7

Use what you have even if it is not enough

48 2.6

Tidy a bed or room so it looks neat

46 3.7

To write all needed information on a form or document

45 3.5

Find time for something important by changing other plans

to make a scene
  • Informal
45 4.9

Act loudly in public to show strong feeling and get attention

42 1.3

To make a sound that is loud or easy to hear

to make headlines
  • Literature
40 3.2

To get a lot of attention in the news

To cause a situation to become more difficult or unpleasant

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

36 5.3

To try to escape quickly, often by running

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

Keep a promise or pay what you owe

35 2.8

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

To become popular or successful again after a time away

Always do something because you think it is important

Sit down and relax as if you are at home

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

to make out
  • Informal
27 6.0

To pretend or claim something is true when it is not

to make news
  • Literature
26 3.4

To get attention by appearing in news reports

Find time to do something even when busy

Publicly say you strongly agree or disagree with something

Complain loudly about something small

To treat something as silly and show no respect

Be sure to do something regularly

To take action that causes events or results

to make out
  • Informal
20 3.7

To manage or get by during a difficult time

19 6.4

To run away quickly after stealing or committing a crime

to make it big
  • Informal
18 4.1

Become very successful in a job or career

Pretend something is real for fun or play

Compounds

36 2.0

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

33 3.2

Play in which people pretend and imagine stories and roles

18 3.5

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

4 4.2

The parts that form a person, group or thing

3 3.7

Imaginary and made to seem real for play or stories

1 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.