make good

phrase

1

or make good on : to make valid or complete: such as

a

: to carry out successfully

made good their escape

made good on his promise

b

: indemnify

make good the loss

c

: to make up for (a deficiency)

made good previous neglect of his child

d

: prove

made good a charge

2

: to prove to be capable

also : succeed

The play made good at the box office.

Examples of make good in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Kings cashed in on three of five power plays on Wednesday and have made good on six of their past 16 opportunities. — Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 5 Nov. 2026

Rake Up Debris Remove any leaves, grass clippings, or debris to ensure the seed can make good contact with the soil. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 3 Nov. 2026

Gleb is a successful businessman, a Russian muzhik made good—wealthy, sturdy, practical—who owns a logistics company in a midsize, provincial city. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

Cecil oversaw the opening of The Inn in 2001, making good, more than a century later, on his great-grandfather’s original vision for a hotel component to his country estate. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for make good

• adulthood
• babyhood
• brotherhood
• cottonwood
• fatherhood
• firewood
• fuelwood
• hardihood
• ironwood
• leatherwood
• likelihood
• livelihood