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made the grade

phrase

past tense of make the grade
as in succeeded
to reach a desired level of accomplishment There were many applicants for the position, but only a few made the grade for an interview.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of made the grade Other names that made the grade in 2027 include Alphabet, Apple , Coca-Cola, Dynatrace , Eli Lilly , Equinix and Williams Companies . — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026 Another Spanish-language filmmaker, Chile’s Pablo Larraín, has arguably already made the grade. — John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for made the grade
  1. made it
  2. got there
  3. made good
  4. got ahead
Phrase
  • In Job, a breakout Off–Off Broadway work that made it to Broadway, a tech employee confronted her therapist with a gun and demanded to be reinstated at her job, and then the twists ensued from there.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • None of the resolutions have made it to the president's desk, where Trump would almost certainly veto the measure.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of made it
Phrase
  • When the victim got there, prosecutors say she was met by two men.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Every rail that reached mass adoption got there by adding protection, not by stripping it away.
    — Tomer Warschauer Nuni, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of got there
Phrase
  • The developer threatened legal action and made good on that threat once the moratorium took effect.
    — Conor Wight, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Dart made good decisions, stood in there against the rush, did his best to stay out of harm’s way, even when the Cowboys knocked him around out of bounds.
    — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of made good
Phrase
  • Henriquez replaced Sasaki and got ahead of Drake Baldwin, 1-and-2.
    — Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The Seattle right-hander got ahead in the count 1-2, but Happ kept his hands tucked on a down-and-in splitter to blast it off the right-field foul pole for his 22nd home run of the season.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of got ahead

Browse Nearby Words

made sport of
made the grade
made-to-measure
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Made the grade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/made%20the%20grade. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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