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Glite Dictionary
to make it to

to make it to

431 3.7
To arrive at a place or event even with problems
  • phrasal verb
  • /meɪk ɪt tu/
translation icon : llegar a
  • After a long journey, we finally made it to the concert just in time for the opening act.
  • never make it to
  • make it to the top
  • make it to college

But before that, we had made it to the playoffs and lost.

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Examples

  • So, if we make it to day six, we're in the clear.

    The Gorge (2025)

  • Um, but I never made it to law school.

    Here (2024)

  • Okay guys, so we made it to India finally.

  • Looks like we have made it to the next spot.

  • Well, Oh, yeah, we made it to the party spot.

    Jiggin' With Jordan

  • So we made it to the end of the day.

  • But I always made it to the next day, and so will you.

  • We can still make it to Canada.

    Deadfall (2012)

  • Alright guys, we made it to our destination.

  • So hopefully we make it to LA in one piece.

Synonyms

to make
vsto make it to
∞ 1.0

To reach a place or achieve a goal

is the multiword form that stresses arriving despite difficulty
to get to
vsto make it to
∞ 2.4

Reach a goal, place, or state after effort

focuses more on succeeding in attending a place despite obstacles
to get there eventually
vsto make it to
3 3.4

Succeed in reaching a goal after some time and effort

means arriving or attending despite difficulty rather than only eventual success
to make one's way
vsto make it to
3.4

To move forward through a place despite problems

refers to the final act of arriving or attending rather than the journey

Antonyms

to miss
∞ 1.0

To not be at an event, class, or activity

to skip
397 1.1

To deliberately not attend something such as a class or meeting

How Likely

to attend
∞ 1.7
to make it to
431 3.7
to show up
∞ 1.4
to miss
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

make + it + to

The sense arises from 'make' in its 'succeed' meaning combined with the directional preposition 'to' and a dummy pronoun 'it', so a learner who knows these parts can partially infer 'succeed in arriving/attending'. However, 'make it' functions as a light-verb idiom (with 'it' non-referential), so the exact usage and nuance typically require some prior exposure and are not fully predictable from the parts alone.

Etymology

Make it to creates a simple image: you push through problems and finally make it to the place. So, to 'make it to' a meeting means you managed to arrive despite difficulties.