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to make good on

to make good on

36 4.1
Keep a promise or pay what you owe
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : cumplir con
  • After all the discussions, he finally decided to make good on his commitment to donate to charity.
  • make good on promises
  • make good on threats

And by us supporting Ukraine, we're making good on our forefathers promise of the past two wars by saying that you know what?

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Examples

  • Citizens interviewed on the scene expressed excitement and hope that OCP will make good on its promise of a better life in Detroit.

  • He always makes good on a promise.

  • Tomorrow, I will make good on my word.

  • You must make good on this deal.

  • I wanna make good on our original deal, but I need a favor first.

  • But first he had to make good on his promise to the guard.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Now I'll make good on that promise.

  • I got 72 hours to make good on a promise I made.

  • We take over the collections, we can actually make good on our word.

  • Clinton's tense relationship with the military hampered his ability to make good on a number of campaign promises.

    Academic text (2007)

Synonyms

to keep
vsto make good on
1.0

To do what you promised

is narrower, used mainly for completing a specific promised commitment
to fulfill
vsto make good on
  • US
265 2.8

To do what is required or promised

refers specifically to carrying out a promised commitment rather than any requirement
to follow through
vsto make good on
86 3.7

Continue and finish something you promised to do

stresses finishing planned steps rather than only fulfilling a promise
to make good
vsto make good on
70 3.9

To keep a promise

is the idiomatic phrasal way to express that same action
to come through with
vsto make good on
  • Informal
12 3.8

To give what was promised or expected

emphasizes supplying a promised item rather than completing a wider obligation
to hold up one's end of the bargain
vsto make good on
  • Informal
7 4.4

Do what you promised in an agreement

focuses on meeting a negotiated share rather than all types of obligations
to keep a promise
vsto make good on
5 2.5

Do what you say you will do for someone

is used more broadly for fulfilling obligations beyond single personal promises
to do one's duty
vsto make good on
  • Formal
1 3.2

Act responsibly because your role or job needs it

is less about personal promises and more about role based obligations

Antonyms

1.0

Not do something you promised or should do

25 8.5

To break a promise or agreement and not do what you said you would do

How Reliable

to deliver the goods
  • Informal
4 3.9
to make good on
36 4.1
to come through
218 3.4
to fail
1.0

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

make + good + on

The components 'make' (perform) and 'good' (to make right/satisfactory) suggest a compensatory or corrective action, and 'on' marks the target, so there is a detectable link to fulfilling or rectifying something. However the specific sense 'fulfil a promise' is a metaphorical extension and not fully predictable from the parts alone, so a B1 learner might guess a related idea but would likely need exposure to learn the exact meaning.

Etymology

Make good on comes from the simple idea of make good — to fix something wrong or to give what is due, like paying back a debt. So to make good on a promise means to do what you promised or to 'pay' what you owe.