make the best of

idiom

1
: to use (something) in an effective way
We may not get another chance, so we need to make the best of this opportunity.
2
: to deal with (a bad situation) as well as possible
Life is not very good right now—but let's try to make the best of it.
(British) We're trying to make the best of a bad job.

Examples of make the best of in a Sentence

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Others tried to make the best of the situation. Bri Buckley, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026 For now, Thompson and her husband are trying to make the best of the situation. Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025 Upcyclers create one-of-a-kind pieces in collaboration with the swathes of talented repairers and tailors, while others make the best of the clothing that turns up ripped or stained, turning cotton shirts into boxer shorts or adult jeans into children’s. Bella Webb, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025 Plunkett is trying to make the best of a bad situation. Andy Mitten, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for make the best of

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Cite this Entry

“Make the best of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20the%20best%20of. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

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