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to make money

to make money

477 1.2
To get money by working or running a business
  • phrasal verb
  • /meɪk ˈmʌni/
translation icon : ganar dinero
  • It's easier to make money than to save it.
  • businesses make money
  • investors make money
  • able to make money

And the way that Venezuela has made money is their oil.

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Examples

  • She sells handmade jewelry to make money while studying at university.

  • I work hard, I make money, I plan vacations.

  • I gave up on trying to make money years ago.

  • So net net I was making money from my little house.

  • And remember this, we make money when we buy.

  • That is how I make money, thank you very much.

  • How do you know you will make money here?

  • Can we really make money that way?

  • The moment people make money, watch how they react.

  • It takes money to make money.

Synonyms

to pay
vsto make money
  • Specialized
5.2

To give money as interest or profit

applies to any earning activity, not only financial instruments
to earn
vsto make money
780 1.0

To get money for work you do or from a business

is the general idea of gaining income or financial return
to profit
vsto make money
140 3.2

To get an advantage from something

is narrower, focusing specifically on gaining money or income
to make a fortune
vsto make money
54 3.2

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

is the general act of earning money without implying great wealth
to earn a living
vsto make money
33 2.2

To make money to support yourself

is broader, applying to any way of gaining income
to work for a living
vsto make money
25 2.2

To earn money by having a job

covers earning in any form, not only through a job
to make a killing
vsto make money
  • Informal
21 4.9

To earn a lot of money very quickly and easily

describes the same gaining of income but without the extreme size or speed
to turn a profit
vsto make money
19 3.2

To earn more money than you spend running a business or project

is broader and includes any income not just surplus over costs
to earn one's keep
vsto make money
  • Informal
3.4

Do enough work, paid or not, to pay for food and a place to live

focuses more widely on gaining income or profit rather than value exchange
to earn crust
vsto make money
  • UK
9.0

To make enough money to live

is the general act of obtaining income or financial gain
to turn a nice dollar
vsto make money
  • Informal
7.8

Make a good amount of money from business or sales

is more general and not limited to notably good returns
to turn a nice penny
vsto make money
  • UK
7.2

Make good money from a business or activity

is the wider idea of getting income or profit in general

How Much

to get rich quick
  • Informal
3 6.2
to profit
140 3.2
to make money
477 1.2
to break even
27 3.3

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

make + money

The meaning 'to earn income' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'make' (produce/obtain) with 'money' (currency/wealth). This verb+noun pattern is frequent and cross-linguistically common, so an average B1 learner who knows the two constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Make money may come from long ago when people in places that made coins would stamp metal to make real money, giving a clear picture of creating value. That's why today make money means 'to earn income' or 'to get a profit'.