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

Whether through canny critique or open wist, shows about making out-of-fashion things can offer us space to predict, resist, and elegize our way through a dark and muddy cultural moment. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025

Some of the papers appear to have highlighted words, though they couldn't be made out clearly. —Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025

Slade then reveals the alleged existence of a tape that includes not just the song but the sounds of Tamra and an unnamed ’90s pop star in the studio making out, having forgotten that the tape was running. —Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025

Lucas Chevalier, his replacement, is not quite the ball-playing maestro he has been made out to be, and the crucial context of Donnarumma's contract negotiations has been totally overlooked. —Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 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