make out

verb

Definition of make outnext
1
as in to cope
to meet one's day-to-day needs we're not rich, but we're making out all right

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to understand
to have a clear idea of I can't quite make out what she is trying to say

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to pretend
to take on a false or deceptive appearance he tried to make out that he didn't mind losing his job, but friends suspected he was desperately worried

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to derive
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information as best as I can make out, the police were informed of the incident but didn't think it was worth investigating

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 out For many years people believed that light was made out of particles flying in straight rays. — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Don’t have nine bottles of champagne with her, and then don’t make out with her on the couch next to the dance floor. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 Vans’ signature checkerboard print can also be made out beneath a translucent outsole. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 For the past two decades, Boise State and Fresno State have competed almost annually for the right to take home the Milk Can, a roughly 2-foot-tall trophy made out of a 10-gallon dairy milk can. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for make out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for make out
  1. cope
  2. understand
  3. pretend
  4. derive
  5. do
  6. know
  7. let on
  8. decide
Verb
  • With financing costs still elevated, many car buyers are taking on larger loans and extending repayment terms to cope with affordability challenges, according to Edmunds.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Research has also found that across generational groups, greater user tendency to engage in social comparison, together with greater maladaptive ways of coping with emotions, is associated with more symptoms of anger, anxiety, and depression.
    — Ashwini Nadkarni, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of cope
Verb
  • The findings could help scientists understand how electrons behave under intense electric fields and develop new ways to control electronic materials using light.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Most state lawmakers understand this, but some pivotal decisions are being made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
    — Max Harden, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of understand
Verb
  • The New York governor signed two bills this morning barring companies from offering some AI chatbot features to users under 18—like pretending to be a real person or to have human emotions, or people-pleasing as a way to keep users engaged.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Everyone is pretending all the time, no one can ever be themselves, and so each of us, in our own way, is sealed inside something that doesn’t exist and that, deep down, makes no apparent sense whatsoever.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of pretend
Verb
  • The Arrowhead 140 is a general-purpose frigate and its design is derived from Denmark’s Iver Huitfeldt-class warships.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Bioeffect’s growth factors in particular are derived from barley.
    — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of derive
Verb
  • However, the touchdown did little to change the outcome as Liberty secured a 49-10 victory.
    — Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 1 Nov. 2026
  • When Queen did Flash Gordon in 1980, that was something genuinely new — a rock band scoring an entire film.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of do
Verb
  • Thames Valley officers in February arrested the former prince, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on suspicion of misconduct in public office based on information released in the Epstein Files.
    — Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Stockhausen, never known for the nuance of his public pronouncements, was nonetheless not wrong to identify Aphex Twin’s debt to an African-diasporic rhythmic tradition.
    — Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of know
Verb
  • How hair supplements work The oral-versus-topical distinction matters more than most marketing lets on.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • As for 5-star quarterback Julian Lewis, who was demoted last week, there seems to be more to the situation than Deion is intentionally letting on.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of let on
Verb
  • That decision, handed down just before noon Friday, all but ensures the issue will reach the Supreme Court and be decided there before polls close Tuesday.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The couple decided to tie in both of their cultural backgrounds through other planning decisions.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of decide

Browse Nearby Words

make-or-break
make out
make over
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Make out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make%20out. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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