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
• 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

Home planetariums are often dome or round-shaped and offer more than just lasers making out to be stars on a wall and they can definitely be used as STEM and learning tools. —Alexander Cox, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Checks drawn from an IRA account and made out to the charity, either by the account holder or the IRA custodian, are considered qualified charitable distributions as long as other rules are met. —Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025

From Hawaiian to Californian wood The brothers had grown up riding the waves atop giant surfboards made out of native Hawaiian woods such as ulu and koa. —Chloe Veltman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2025

The platforms are made out of recycled plastic by a manufacturer called ZICLA. —Aurora Sousanis, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2025

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