as in potential
often makings plural
the basic elements from which something can be developed
she has all the makings of an excellent leader, but she needs some experience first
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in producing
to bring into being by combining, shaping, or transforming materials
will you help me make the dough for the cookies?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in achieving
to obtain (as a goal) through effort
we finally made it!
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in creating
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
the cats made quite a disturbance when they knocked the Christmas tree over
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4
as in fulfilling
to carry through (as a process) to completion
one person from each department will be asked to make a short presentation at the meeting
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5
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
made him do all the work while everyone else just lounged around
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6
as in estimating
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement
I make that to be about six feet long
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7
as in constructing
to form by putting together parts or materials
make a model airplane
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8
as in seeming
to give the impression of being
the family made merry despite their financial worries
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9
as in heading
to go on a specified course or in a certain direction
the baby made straight for the toy lying on the rug
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10
as in enacting
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action
the legislature failed to make any new laws last session
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11
as in earning
to receive as return for effort
I make considerably more money now than I did when I first started working here
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12
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of
what do you make of the latest information?
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13
as in shutting
chiefly dialect
to position (something) so as to prevent passage through an opening
make the gate when ye leave
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of making
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Without going into specifics, Kulukundis made clear that casting directors, along with their teams, can be quietly involved in every step of a film’s making.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Lilly Kersh, Dallas Morning News, 21 Mar. 2026
The first one coming from the Pacific is still making its way into the region.
—CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for making
Noun
Not after another slow start, another early deficit, another game in which a team with championship expectations needed a furious comeback to clean up a mess of its own making.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Without going into specifics, Kulukundis made clear that casting directors, along with their teams, can be quietly involved in every step of a film’s making.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
North Texas Performing Arts is making plans to move out of the mall and Crayola Experience has closed.
—Lilly Kersh, Dallas Morning News, 21 Mar. 2026
The first one coming from the Pacific is still making its way into the region.
—CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for making
Recent Examples of Synonyms for making
Noun
-
As a growing Waxhaw sees more congestion on the town’s roads, upcoming traffic projects have the potential to smooth out daily commutes.—
March 26,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The House bill, which takes aim at members of Congress and executive branch officials like the president, seeks to take the potential for profit out of decision-making by public officials.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The experimental jet, part of NASA’s Quesst mission, is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound while producing only a soft sonic thump instead of a disruptive boom.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Another issue worrying farmers in major food-producing countries like Brazil and India is that the war is also hurting the export market.—
Fatma Tanis,
NPR,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even if one accepts that perfectly reasonable people are happy to live in a bubble with strangers for months in hopes of achieving love, fame or a cash prize, someone inevitably is cast to bring the crazy, er, conversation-sparking personality.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
When learning how to straighten curly hair at home, protecting your hair’s health is just as important as achieving a sleek final look.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Besides commercial success, Bollywood has enormous cultural clout, shaping social norms, defining pop cultures and creating stars revered not only India but in the diaspora worldwide.—
Taran Khan,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The cameras behind the License Plate Reader system build data profiles on all of our driving patterns, creating dozens of location data points for each unique license plate daily.—
Jennifer Piper,
Denver Post,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
By making this register the emotional climax of the season, the show leaves us with the impression that John and Carolyn’s relationship was more messed up than fulfilling or loving.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
-
This week’s adventures in dining were a bit of a mixed bag of Lenten fish fry, catching up with a friend and fulfilling a craving.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The video shows Ritchson riding on the motorbike when a man, Taylor, steps in front of the bike, forcing Ritchson to stop.—
Austin Mullen,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Nothing might seem to have longer odds in deep-red Oklahoma than an effort to lessen punishments for violent crimes, but overcrowded prisons and rising costs were already forcing a rethinking of harsh, decades-old sentencing laws.—
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The findings are part of a broader probe into Khamenei’s alleged overseas holdings, with a Bloomberg investigation estimating a portfolio spanning multiple countries and totaling roughly $138 million in assets across Europe and the Gulf, pending verification of full ownership structures.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
21 Mar. 2026
-
On today’s show, estimating the cost of the Iran war right now.—
Darian Woods,
NPR,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The company is spending about $200 billion on its domestic expansion, which includes constructing two chip-making factories at its headquarters campus in Southeast Boise, building up to four fabs in New York state, and modernizing its existing fab in Virginia.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Microsoft is constructing models for generating source code, images and audio, and for reasoning, which produces answers that people can find more thoughtful but requires more time, Suleyman said.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Making.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/making. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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