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 of make out

• cope
• do
• make do
• make ends meet
• get along
• get by
• get on
• manage

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

In it, a preteen discovers a suit of armor made out of boxes and embarks on a quest through massive cardboard castles on a theater stage. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 June 2026

IsoHemp’s blocks, made out of hemp and lime binders, can be integrated into load-bearing structures, and are suitable for both interior and exterior walls. —Amy Gunia, CNN Money, 24 June 2026

Even the Ottawa Senators, caught between a rock and a hard place with their hands tied in trading Tkachuk to South Florida, made out reasonably well given their circumstances. —Thomas Drance, New York Times, 24 June 2026

Pelé, Brazil’s greatest soccer hero, learned the game with a ball that his father made out of a sock stuffed with rags. —Michael Sandler, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for make out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout

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