make way

phrase

1

: to give room for passing, entering, or occupying

… many of the old villas were being torn down to make way for high rises …

—William Murray

2

: to make progress

Examples of make way in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Consider taking out a few roses in dense beds to make way for a steppingstone path through the blooms. — Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026

The earth is being graded at the busy intersection of Jefferson and Sepulveda boulevards to make way for the development of 344 units over street-level retail businesses in a complex called ElevenOneEleven, which will include two public parks. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

The bridge was closed for two days in early August and had another two-day closure in late September so crews could reconfigure traffic lanes to make way for the work. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026

The apartment will occasionally deconstruct, its walls pulled apart to make way for a bar, or Wiesler’s own drab home — some of the set segues almost defying logic. — Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for make way

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway