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

Relevance
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The Datejust is now Rolex’s single largest earner on the online marketplace, making up 28 percent of revenue. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 5 Aug. 2026 As a teachers union surely knows, the souls of schools are made up of teachers and students. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
The mom and daughter shared a makeup-free moment in matching graphic tees with a witty play on words, for a good cause. — Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026 One had tiny slashes of black makeup at the edges of her eyes. — Karan Mahajan, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 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 camera setup comprises 54 Vicon Valkyrie cameras and 10 Vicon Vero cameras (all Vicon motion capture cameras) and the stage supports up to 20 performers simultaneously.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Last year, first-time visitors to Las Vegas comprised 10% of travelers, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's annual visitor profile study.
    — James Powel, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of comprise
Verb
  • Advertisement As Claude began completing such tasks too reliably to reveal much, Freeman devised a test closer to the messiness of the real world.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In Ukraine, Washington may have waited too long to devise a strategy for ending the war.
    — Dafna H. Rand, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of devise
Verb
  • McCaleb and co-editors Skip Macdonald and Joey Liew, along with Golubić, continued to build sequences from scratch, allowing silence, dialogue, sound design or music to occur naturally depending on the needs of each scene.
    — Deadline, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Our children are building relationships with technology before many of us have begun conversations about identity, judgment, values and character.
    — Aiko Bethea, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of build
Noun
  • Store Craft Supplies Keep beads, paint brushes, and other craft supplies organized by storing them in their own upcycled candle jars with a small label if desired.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 9 Aug. 2026
  • License plate readers have been shot at in Tennessee, hit with a truck in California, beat with a baseball bat in Virginia, cut down with a saw in Texas and splattered with paint in New York.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of paint
Noun
  • McCaleb and co-editors Skip Macdonald and Joey Liew, along with Golubić, continued to build sequences from scratch, allowing silence, dialogue, sound design or music to occur naturally depending on the needs of each scene.
    — Deadline, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The sleek, slip-on style instantly elevates the most basic outfit with that classic mule-meets-loafer design, while the flat bottoms provide all-day comfort.
    — Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of design
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the American Television Alliance (ATVA), a lobbying group composed of cable, satellite, telco operators and independent programmers, slammed the FCC’s vote on the TV ownership cap.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Former congresswoman Dinorah Figuera is leading the opposition bloc, which is composed of former members of the 2015 National Assembly – the last legislative body considered legitimate by the US.
    — Anabella González, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of compose
Verb
  • Like, for instance, Loughlin, who paid Singer $500,000 to concoct fake row team credentials — and even stage phony rowing photos — to get her two daughters into USC.
    — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The cocktail menu leans into the couple’s heritage with some Argentine staples, including the El Clásico of Fernet and Coke and El Diego, concocted with sweet vermouth, Coke and a splash of whiskey.
    — Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of concoct
Verb
  • In the first part of the proposal, Wyden wants to remove existing tax incentives for constructing data centers, for instance, making it so that assets purchased for data centers are not immediately eligible for write-off.
    — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Shamelessness has been central to Trump’s business and political success, and his reaction to setbacks is to deny objective facts and construct fantasies of achievement.
    — KORI SCHAKE, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of construct

Browse Nearby Words

make tracks
make up
makeup
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Make up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make%20up. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on make up

Nglish: Translation of make up for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All