make out

verb

made out; making out; makes out

transitive verb

1

: to complete (something, such as a printed form) by supplying required information

make out a check

2

: to find or grasp the meaning of

tried to make out what had really happened

3

: to form an opinion or idea about : conclude

how do you make that out

4

a

: to represent as being

made them out to be losers

b

: to pretend to be true

made out that he had never heard of me

5

: to represent or delineate in detail

6

: to see and identify with difficulty or effort : discern

make out a ship through the fog

intransitive verb

1

: get along, fare

how are you making out with the new job

2

a

: to engage in sexual intercourse

b

: neck sense 1

Synonyms

• cope
• do
• fare
• get along
• get by
• get on
• manage
• shift

Examples of make out in a Sentence

we're not rich, but we're making out all right

I can't quite make out what she is trying to say.

Recent Examples on the Web

Throughout the past four decades, the show has changed in minor ways, but the concept has always been the same: contestants guess letters and try to make out what the phrase says on the letter board. —Gillian Telling, Peoplemag, 7 June 2024

Then, they were made out of a range of animal skins and adorned to denote something about the wearer and their culture. —Julian Randall, Essence, 6 June 2024

Its research shows huge corporations have long been aware that their plastic products aren’t as recyclable as they were made out to be and could have devastating environmental impacts due to fossil fuel usage and plastic waste buildup. —Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 5 June 2024

The speaker has a creative design and it's made out of premium materials. —Gabriela Vatu, PCMAG, 5 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

make out

verb

1

: to draw up in writing

make out a shopping list

2

: understand sense 1a

how do you make that out

3

: to represent as being

made her out a hero

4

: to see and identify with difficulty

make out a form in the fog

5

: succeed sense 2

make out well in business

6

: to engage in kissing and petting