make-do 1 of 2

make do

2 of 2

phrase

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 make-do
Adjective
Yet even this make-do meal felt extravagant. Reem Kassis, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025 Despite its make-do simplicity, bulldog gravy is delicious when made with flavorful fat, such as from smoky bacon. Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2025 The videos show more than a dozen people in a cramped, windowless room apparently wearing the clothes they were detained in and sleeping on make-do beds of aluminum blankets. Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025 The show has a punk rock, garage band, DIY, mix tape, basement, make-do sensibility, flowing from the band and album inspiring its title. Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025 Some were make-do solutions installed by IT and not documented, and others were put there by employees tired of waiting for more storage. ArsTechnica, 26 May 2025 While teasing the reader with questions about the child’s paternity, Lamont’s story of a make-do family revels in the often comically porous borders of faith, home, and adulthood. The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2025 Many of its most successful innovations on the battlefield are the result of having to make-do, or turning to unconventional means to accomplish a mission. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 24 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for make-do
Adjective
  • The deputy was seen on video struggling through makeshift barricades of mattresses and furniture before confronting Camacho, who was holding the boy in a chokehold with one hand while brandishing a knife in the other.
    Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • With Rico Dowdle starting at running back for the first time since Week 6, Carolina’s offense was able to move the ball effectively on the ground, even with a makeshift offensive line missing multiple starters.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • More physical defenses, a bigger stockpile of spare parts, greater grid transmission capacity from Europe, and backup supplies of natural gas are all urgently needed, the IEA said in an analysis of Ukraine’s readiness this week.
    Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Despite Ravnik's previous role as one of Swift's own backup dancers on her Eras Tour, the couple did not make it out of week seven safely.
    Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Though some people do entirely substitute cannabis for alcohol, this doesn’t appear to be having widespread effects on drinking.
    Kate Bernot, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Georgia was attending college part time and working as a substitute grade-school teacher.
    Bob Cary, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Kings acquired Dennis Schroder, 32, in a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons and signed free agent Russell Westbrook, 36, but those were viewed as stopgap moves, not part of a long-term solution.
    Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2025
  • With the lack of federal funding, food banks, which were already a stopgap measure for food insecure families, will become even more strained.
    Elizabeth B. Kim, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Make-do.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make-do. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

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