MAKES OUT Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

makes out

verb

present tense third-person singular of make out

as in copes

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

as in knows

to have a clear idea of I can't quite make out what she is trying to say

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in pretends

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

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as in derives

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 makes out The contemporary media environment makes out-and-out suppression of a book difficult. — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026 Even Fraser makes out with Rainbeau and Damo. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for makes out

Verb

Hollis buries herself in work in an attempt to escape her complicated grief, while aspiring filmmaker Caroline copes by making snarky remarks and bristling at her mom's efforts to connect.

— Clarissa Cruz, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
Gemini copes through logic and distraction, while Pisces feels everything at once.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 May 2026

Definition of copes

Verb

This response — full-hearted, full-throttle, fullalove — was a vivid example of Keeganism itself, as this corner of England knows and understands it.

— Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Getty Images As the President of the Penske Corporation, Bud Denker knows how to close some major business deals.

— Bruce Martin, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of knows

Verb

So does Kevin Reddington, the formidable defense attorney who is representing Clancy in her criminal trial, taking place in Plymouth, which is being live-streamed on the Internet and heavily covered on local news.

— Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Since the coupon amounts cannot change, the instrument that does is the bill, a Treasury security that matures in a year or less.

— James Broughel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of does

Verb

This response — full-hearted, full-throttle, fullalove — was a vivid example of Keeganism itself, as this corner of England knows and understands it.

— Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Specialization can help set your brokerage business apart from others because clients often want an advisor who understands the details of a particular property type.

— James Nelson, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of understands

Verb

Written and directed by Achyuth Vinayak, the film released in theaters in 2023, following a couple whose plan to elope is complicated when the man’s sister decides to elope as well.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
For high-volume production workloads, coding agents, document processing and customer operations that differential decides the purchase order.

— Mark Minevich, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of decides

Verb

The Royal Parks charity, which manages Richmond Park, where the incident took place over the weekend, warned that human behavior is endangering the lives of the deer who have resided there for centuries.

— Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
At least one of the kittens was still alive when it was thrown, said Tracy Flaherty, who manages the Dairy Queen on Library Road.

— Ricky Sayer, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026