make up 1 of 2

verb

Definition of make upnext
1
as in to comprise
to be all the substance of the book is made up of 20 chapters

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to devise
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination she keeps making up excuses as to why she hasn't yet finished the project

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to build
to form by putting together parts or materials we'll have to make up the bookcase, which came in a box marked "some assembly required"

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

makeup

2 of 2

noun

ˈmāk-ˌəp How to pronounce makeup (audio)
1
as in paint
preparations intended to beautify the face she never left the house without applying her makeup and arranging her jewelry

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2
as in design
the way in which the elements of something (as a work of art) are arranged the makeup of the memorial is strikingly simple: a single massive globe signifying world unity

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 up
Verb
Six such accounts make up the series as Hojo chases the truth behind them. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026 Local school board positions are by far the office most frequently going unfilled, making up close to a third of the positions lacking candidates. — CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
Irate, Melissa punched Nakira in the face, then used makeup to cover the bruises. — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026 Growing up the kind of kid who read novelizations of horror movies, Kane also made sure that the special effects makeup is next-level. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for make up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for make up
  1. comprise
  2. devise
  3. build
  4. paint
  5. design
  6. compose
  7. concoct
  8. construct
Verb
  • The rest comprises things like structural supports, cooling systems, electrical connections, etc.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Behind the camera, Avani Rai shot about 130 people comprising ordinary Indians, dancers, models, and artisans, as well as her mother and actor Ranveer Singh against the streets of Old Delhi and its flower market and crowded alleyways.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of comprise
Verb
  • Over the following weeks, the group of roughly 15 people spoke almost daily to trace the vulnerabilities to their common source and devise a fix.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
  • With her knack for devising novel solutions to seemingly insoluble problems, no one was better suited for the job.
    — Dean Robbins, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of devise
Verb
  • Fellow delivery workers built a memorial outside the grocery store, according to the station.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In order to be helpful, Muse constantly builds extensive dossiers of users and their desires, social relationships, and messaging behaviors, TIME’s Harry Booth reported this month.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of build
Noun
  • The company said the industrial chemical glycidyl methacrylate is used to make certain plastics, paints and coatings perform better.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • According to the statement and as the City of Toledo confirmed, the chemical involved in this incident is glycidyl methacrylate, an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics, paints and coatings perform better.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of paint
Noun
  • Instead of manufacturing and physically testing hundreds of battery designs, engineers used computer models to evaluate more than 300,000 possible configurations before producing a prototype.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The room is a design flex of its own — velvet banquettes, rich purples, cerulean blues, gold and marble, with art exclusively by women.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of design
Verb
  • The Kinest’e Community Coalition, composed of Lincoln and other tribal members and their allies, continues its fight to not only have a say in the project but also to reroute the trail to protect sacred sites, including graves.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Particleboard, for example, signals a contemporary renovation since the original kitchens were composed primarily of solid softwood and wood-core board.
    — Tara Anne Dalbow, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of compose
Verb
  • Yaga concocts one entertainingly heady brew, thanks to its beguiling mood and fearless cast.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
  • He was cleared of that, but then fell out with a friend who had helped concoct his alibi in the libel case, and was charged with perjury.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of concoct
Verb
  • The process was particularly intricate, as each interlacing detail on the bodice had to be carefully constructed by weaving hundreds of meters of rouleau and while maintaining the tension and precision of the corsetry underneath.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Knight said the First Baptist Church roots began in the mid-18th century, and the current building was constructed in 1846.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of construct

Browse Nearby Words

make tracks
make up
makeup
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Cite this Entry

“Make up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make%20up. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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