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

The agent’s story peters out at the end; Simon photographs a quilt made out of T-shirts from his many law-enforcement jobs which his girlfriend commissioned for him from Etsy. — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026

No detail is unaccounted for and no expense is spared, which is The Ritz-Carlton way — evident in touches like the robe’s delicate trim on the pockets and cuffs, fleece lining, embroidery at the chest, and belt made out of the same materials. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026

Oregon was stunned by Oklahoma State, just two weeks ago, leading to real questions about whether the Ducks are the Playoff contender they were made out to be. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Plus, it's made out of aluminum for extra durability with long hours of play and accidental drops. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 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