MAKES THE GRADE Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

makes the grade

phrase

present tense third-person singular of make the grade

as in makes 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for makes the grade

Phrase

Two Ways To Buy A Bond Start with what a bond purchase does when the Federal Reserve makes it.

— James Broughel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
The four of them defend attack after attack from Thorne’s men until — spoiler alert — the accountant makes it to the stand.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of makes it

Phrase

The sweet spot for a Moon base, Isaacman said, is a relatively small region near the lunar south pole, and there are tangible implications for who gets there first.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
Nashville praises the family, but how exactly that baby gets there…well, you’re not supposed to talk about that.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of gets there

Phrase

Lockheed also highlighted that its FLEX airframe will provide a modular airframe that gets ahead of subcomponent obsolescence, provides future capability enhancements to outpace threats and enable scalability at the production factory.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
Each of these plans comes with seasonal pest control that gets ahead of pest activity, but Pro and Premium treatments occur even more frequently during peak pest season.

— Alora Bopray, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Definition of gets ahead

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Browse Nearby Words

makes sport of

makes the grade

makes tracks

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“Makes the grade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/makes%20the%20grade. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of makes the grade

phrase

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