to bring into existence by shaping or changing material, combining parts, etc.

to make a dress; to make a channel; to make a work of art.

to produce; cause to exist or happen; bring about

to make trouble; to make war.

to cause to be or become; render

to make someone happy.

to appoint or name

The President made her his special envoy.

to put in the proper condition or state, as for use; fix; prepare

to make a bed; to make dinner.

to bring into a certain form

to make bricks out of clay.

to convert from one state, condition, category, etc., to another

to make a virtue of one's vices.

to cause, induce, or compel

to make a horse jump a barrier.

to give rise to; occasion

It's not worth making a fuss over such a trifle.

to produce, earn, or win for oneself

to make a good salary; to make one's fortune in oil.

to write or compose

to make a short poem for the occasion.

to draw up, as a legal document; draft

to make a will.

to do; effect

to make a bargain.

to establish or enact; put into existence

to make laws.

to become by development; prove to be

You'll make a good lawyer.

to form in the mind, as a judgment or estimate

to make a decision.

to judge or interpret, as to the truth, nature, meaning, etc. (often fol. by of )

What do you make of it?

to estimate; reckon

to make the distance at ten miles.

to bring together separate parts so as to produce a whole; compose; form

to make a matched set.

to amount to; bring up the total to

Two plus two makes four. That makes an even dozen.

to serve as

to make good reading.

to be sufficient to constitute

One story does not make a writer.

to be adequate or suitable for

This wool will make a warm sweater.

to assure the success or fortune of

a deal that could make or break him; Seeing her made my day.

to deliver, utter, or put forth

to make a stirring speech.

to go or travel at a particular speed

to make 60 miles an hour.

to arrive at or reach; attain

The ship made port on Friday. Do you think he'll make 80?

to arrive in time for

to make the first show.

to arrive in time to be a passenger on (a plane, boat, bus, train, etc.)

If you hurry, you can make the next flight.

Informal . to gain or acquire a position within

He made the big time.

to receive mention or appear in or on

The robbery made the front page.

to gain recognition or honor by winning a place or being chosen for inclusion in or on

The novel made the bestseller list. He made the all-American team three years in a row.

Slang . to have sexual intercourse with.

Cards .

to name (the trump).

to take a trick with (a card).

Bridge . to fulfill or achieve (a contract or bid).

to shuffle (the cards).

to earn, as a score

The team made 40 points in the first half.

Slang . (esp. in police and underworld use)

to recognize or identify

Any cop in town will make you as soon as you walk down the street.

to charge or cause to be charged with a crime

The police expect to make a couple of suspects soon.

to close (an electric circuit).

South Midland and Southern U.S. to plant and cultivate or produce (a crop)

He makes some of the best corn in the country.

to cause oneself, or something understood, to be as specified

to make sure.

to show oneself to be or seem in action or behavior (usually fol. by an adjective)

to make merry.

to be made, as specified

This fabric makes up into beautiful drapes.

to move or proceed in a particular direction

They made after the thief.

to rise, as the tide or water in a ship.

South Midland and Southern U.S. (of a crop) to grow, develop, or mature

It looks like the corn's going to make pretty good this year.

make down, Chiefly Pennsylvania German . to rain or snow

It's making down hard.

make fast, Chiefly Nautical . to fasten or secure.

make shut, Chiefly Pennsylvania German . to close

Make the door shut.

the style or manner in which something is made; form; build.

production with reference to the maker; brand

our own make.

disposition; character; nature.

the act or process of making.

quantity made; output.

Cards . the act of naming the trump, or the suit named as trump.

Electricity . the closing of an electric circuit.

Jewelry . the excellence of a polished diamond with regard to proportion, symmetry, and finish.

Slang . identifying information about a person or thing from police records

He radioed headquarters for a make on the car's license plate.

make out,

to write out or complete, as a bill or check.

to establish; prove.

to decipher; discern.

to imply, suggest, or impute

He made me out to be a liar.

to manage; succeed

How are you making out in your new job?

Slang . to engage in kissing and caressing; neck.

Slang . to have sexual intercourse.

Chiefly Pennsylvania German . to turn off or extinguish (esp. a light or fire)

Make the light out.

make over,

to remodel; alter

to make over a dress; to make over a page layout.

to transfer the title of (property); convey

After she retired she made over her property to her children and moved to Florida.

make for,

to go toward; approach

to make for home.

to lunge at; attack.

to help to promote or maintain

This incident will not make for better understanding between the warring factions.

make off,

to run away; depart hastily

The only witness to the accident made off before the police arrived.

Nautical . to stand off from a coast, esp. a lee shore.

make off with, to carry away; steal

While the family was away, thieves made off with most of their valuables.

make on, Chiefly Pennsylvania German . to turn on, light, or ignite (esp. a light or fire)

Make the light on.

make up,

(of parts) to constitute; compose; form.

to put together; construct; compile.

to concoct; invent.

Also, make up for. to compensate for; make good.

to complete.

to put in order; arrange

The maid will make up the room.

to conclude; decide.

to settle amicably, as differences.

to become reconciled, as after a quarrel.

Printing . to arrange set type, illustrations, etc., into columns or pages.

to dress in appropriate costume and apply cosmetics for a part on the stage.

to apply cosmetics.

to adjust or balance, as accounts; prepare, as statements.

Education . to repeat (a course or examination that one has failed).

Education . to take an examination that one had been unable to take when first given, usually because of absence.

to specify and indicate the layout or arrangement of (columns, pages, etc., of matter to be printed).

Atlantic States . (of the weather or clouds) to develop or gather

It's making up for a storm.

Atlantic States . (of the sea) to become turbulent

If the sea makes up, row toward land.

make up to,

Informal . to try to become friendly with; fawn on.

to make advances to; flirt with

He makes up to every new woman in the office.

make a play for

to try to get

He made a play for his brother's girlfriend. They made a play for control of the company's stock.

make as if or as though

Informal . to act as if; pretend

We will make as if to leave, then come back and surprise him.

make away with

to steal

The clerk made away with the cash and checks.

to destroy; kill

He made away with his enemies.

to get rid of.

to consume, drink, or eat completely

The boys made away with the contents of the refrigerator.

make believe

to pretend; imagine

The little girl dressed in a sheet and made believe she was a ghost.

make bold or so bold

to have the temerity; be so rash; dare

May I make so bold as to suggest that you stand when they enter?

make book

Slang .

to take bets and give odds.

to make a business of this.

make colors, Nautical . to hoist an ensign

as on board a warship.

make do, to function, manage, or operate

usually on a deprivation level with minimal requirements

During the war we had no butter or coffee, so we had to make do without them.

make good

to provide restitution or reparation for

The bank teller made good the shortage and was given a light sentence.

to succeed

Talent and training are necessary to make good in some fields.

to fulfill

He made good on his promise.

Navigation . to compute (a course) allowing for leeway and compass deviation.

make heavy weather

Nautical . to roll and pitch in heavy seas.

to progress laboriously; struggle, esp. to struggle needlessly

I am making heavy weather with my income tax return.

make it

Informal . to achieve a specific goal

to make it to the train; to make it through college.

Informal . to succeed in general

He'll never make it in business.

Slang . to have sexual intercourse.

make it so

Nautical . strike the ship's bell accordingly

said by the officer of the watch when the hour is announced.

make like

Informal . to try or pretend to be like; imitate

I'm going to go out and make like a gardener.

make one's manners

Southern U.S.

to perform an appropriate or expected social courtesy.

Older Use . to bow or curtsy.

make sail

Nautical .

to set sails.

to brace the yards of a ship that has been hove to in order to make headway.

make time. time ( def. 52 ) .

make water

to urinate.

Nautical . (of a hull) to leak.

make with

Slang .

to operate; use

Let's make with the feet.

to bring about; provide or produce

He makes with the big ideas, but can't follow through.

on the make

Informal .

seeking to improve one's social or financial position, usually at the expense of others or of principle.

increasing; advancing.

Slang . seeking amorous or sexual relations

The park was swarming with sailors on the make.

put the make on

Slang . to make sexual overtures to.

verb

crush , destroy , raze , ruin , discourage , dissuade , halt , prevent , stop , demote , renounce , deny , disallow , refuse , refute , veto , calculate , measure , lose , fail

verb

accomplish , adjust , arrange , assemble , beget , brew , bring about , cause , compose , conceive , constitute , construct , cook , cook up * , dash off , draw on , dream up , effect , engender , fabricate , fashion , forge , form , frame , generate , get ready , give rise to , hatch , initiate , invent , knock off * , lead to , manufacture , mold , occasion , originate , parent , prepare , procreate , produce , put together , secure , shape , spawn , synthesize , tear off , throw together , whip , whip out , coerce , concuss , constrain , dragoon , drive , force , horn in , impel , impress , interfere , meddle , oblige , press , pressurize , prevail upon , require , shotgun , start , tamper , advance , assign , create , delegate , elect , finger , install , invest , name , nominate , ordain , proffer , select , tap , tender , act , carry on , carry out , carry through , conduct , declare , decree , do , draft , draw up , engage in , establish , fix , formulate , legislate , pass , perform , practice , prosecute , wage , amount to , come to , compound , comprise , embody , equal , make up , mix , organize , represent , structure , texture , calculate , collect , conclude , deduce , deduct , derive , dope out , draw , figure , gather , gauge , judge , reckon , suppose , think , bring home bacon , bring in , clean up * , clear , gain , get , harvest , hustle , net , obtain , pull , pull down * , rate , realize , reap , receive , sock * , take in , arrive at , arrive in time , attain , bear , break for , catch , get to , go , head , light out , meet , move , proceed , progress , reach , set out , strike out , take off , breed , father , sire , bring , bring on , effectuate , induce , ingenerate , result in , set off , stir , touch off , trigger , build , have , designate , compel , obligate , pressure , fit , prime , ready , enact , promulgate , win