MAKE THE GRADE Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

make the grade

phrase

Definition of make the grade

as in make it

to reach a desired level of accomplishment There were many applicants for the position, but only a few made the grade for an interview.

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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 the grade At National Mortgage Center, another DSCR lender, even buyers of short-term rentals can often be approved, and sometimes multifamily projects of more than five units make the grade. — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for make the grade

Recent Examples of Synonyms for make the grade

Phrase

That’s lowered expectations to just a handful, or none, of these startups making it to public markets, the sources said.

— Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
So Rocky did, telling her about the pheasant hunt, the finding of the roadside gun, Helen’s plan to smash it with an axe, and Nick’s competing plan to make it into an artwork by melting solder on it.

— Tom Drury, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of make it

Phrase

Moreover, the contrast between Paulina and Eloise shows who Paulina might become and the cost of getting there.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
To get there, Washington must encourage a free-market, international defense ecosystem defined by open architecture and industrial, software, and hardware compatibility.

— Dan Driscoll, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of get there

Phrase

But until then, Kyiv needs to get ahead of Moscow and stop its ability to wreak aerial havoc.

— Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
After revealing its personal agent app Muse earlier this month, the Facebook parent this week unveiled its Muse Charm device in an apparent bid to get ahead of OpenAI and Google.

— Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of get ahead

Phrase

After spending 26 years trying to get somewhere, this copy won’t be going back in the mail.

— Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Some are predicting that Colorado defenseman Cale Makar will get somewhere in the $18 million to $20 million range before the start of September’s training camps.

— Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 12 July 2026

Definition of get somewhere

Phrase

We are elected to do a job, and that’s to make good decisions for the American people.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
For a morning caffeine fix, Hatchet West and Bohemia Coffee House are solid downtown options that make good starting points for a day of exploring.

— Kristy Tolley, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of make good

Browse Nearby Words

makes way

make the grade

make tracks

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Make the grade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make%20the%20grade. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of make the grade

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