Thesaurus results for MAKES UP (FOR)

makes up (for)

verb

present tense third-person singular of make up (for)

as in offsets

to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective the lavish present almost made up for her forgetting his birthday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for makes up (for)

Verb

This fee for container ships offsets the costs associated with transiting the waterway.

— Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Casar has been on a media blitz pitching progressives’ AI proposals, which have ranged from a ban on AI superintelligence to a tax on the technology to pay for a jobs program that offsets related layoffs.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of offsets

Verb

Robin doesn’t know how to use the word ‘’literally,’’ Ted corrects everyone, Lily chews too loudly, and Barney speaks in falsetto.

— Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026
Those rules should cover what the agent can do, what requires human judgment and how the business stops or corrects an action when something goes wrong.

— Robert Kramer, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of corrects

Verb

The common thread Domestic records collection and foreign data-for-aid deals rest on the same faith that anonymization neutralizes the risk of pooling sensitive health data.

— Jennifer D. Oliva, The Conversation, 17 Aug. 2026
Vinegar contains acetic acid, which cuts through grease and grime and neutralizes odors.

— Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 31 July 2026

Definition of neutralizes

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.

Browse Nearby Words

makes up

makes up (for)

makes use of

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Makes up (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/makes%20up%20%28for%29. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of makes up (for)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

devolve

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes