MAKES UP Synonyms: 130 Similar and Opposite Words

makes up

verb

present tense third-person singular of make up

as in comprises

to be all the substance of the book is made up of 20 chapters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in devises

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in builds

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"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 up Over the course of three decades, Tony pieced together the land that now makes up the sprawling compound. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2026 Viewers shouldn’t look for the freewheeling commentary and opinion that makes up so much of online chatter. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026 Most defaults are in healthcare, but there are concerns this could spread to software, which makes up 20% of lending. — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Standard jeans, which retail for $30-$75, makes up 40 percent. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 13 July 2026 The bank estimates running makes up about 12% of Adidas’ group sales, with the category growing 28% in the first quarter of 2026. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 6 July 2026 The battery life errs more on the average side and lacks magnetic charging, but the $200 Fourth of July discount makes up for it. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 July 2026 The only geographic region where voters preferred Hilton to Becerra are those in the North Coast/Sierra region, which makes up about 2% of the electorate, DiCamillo said. — Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026 The effect is especially pronounced in rural counties, where agriculture makes up a large share of property tax revenue. — The Conversation, Fortune, 14 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for makes up

Verb

The titular gang comprises Mac (McElhenney), a closeted wannabe tough guy; the narcissistic prepster Dennis (Glenn Howerton); Dennis’s chronically unsure fraternal twin, Dee (Kaitlin Olson); and the bar’s buffoonish janitor, Charlie (Charlie Day).

— Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
That figure comprises both actual sales and equivalent units generated by millions of plays on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and others.

— Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of comprises

Verb

The British-American actress plays Hannah, a music student who devises a fake dating scheme with hockey star Garrett (Belmont Cameli) to catch the attention of her crush, Justin (Josh Heuston).

— Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
Six men are eaten by the Cyclops before Odysseus devises a plan to escape from the cave they are trapped in.

— Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 June 2026

Definition of devises

Verb

As populist pushback builds against the AI industry and data centers that power it, Republicans who have cheered the AI boom are scrambling to find a new identity as middle-ground pragmatists.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026
These future Windows 11 features are already available in Insider builds.

— Chris Hoffman, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of builds

Verb

But the strategic cocktail of soft nationalism, corporate politics and ticket-sales boosterism that constitutes the wild card system more often overshadows sporting fairness.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
While not every improper payment constitutes fraud, every improper payment reflects a failure of oversight that creates opportunities for fraud to thrive.

— Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of constitutes

Verb

The new film continues the story of the conclusion of Holland’s third Spider-Man film, where Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) concocts a spell to make everyone forget Peter as a way to save the multiverse.

— Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Driver’s character concocts a way for the duo to start an environmental business together as Russians, largely the mafia, are involved in recalibrating a canal in New York City.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 17 May 2026

Definition of concocts

Verb

Before conscious reasoning has a chance to engage, the brain often constructs an elaborate threat narrative.

— Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
However, environmental and geopolitical concerns remain high as China constructs a massive 60-gigawatt dam downstream in Medog County.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of constructs

Verb

Increasingly, success depends not on who invents first, but on who can manufacture, deploy and scale those innovations most effectively.

— Ariyan Kabir, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
Yet history reminds us that technological leadership is rarely determined solely by who invents it first.

— Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of invents

Verb

That makes the world a more dangerous place, where a mistake by just one actor could ignite a regional firestorm, with a US military weakened by Iran unable to ensure American security.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
His last win came against Sodiq Yusuff in October 2023, and this loss makes four in a row.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026