MAKING UP Synonyms: 131 Similar and Opposite Words

making up

verb

present participle of make up

as in comprising

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in devising

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 building

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 making up Asia-Pacific is still a small share of Mubadala鈥檚 portfolio, making up 13% of its holdings, against 44% for North America. — semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026 The Grotto of Massabielle is one of the 22 sites making up the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026 The project is expected to set aside 40% of its units as affordable for those making up to 60% of the area median income under federal guidelines. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 She was later wrongfully accused of making up the allegations and fired, while Durrah maintained his employment with the department, Tillman claimed in her complaint. — Amber Gaudet updated August 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026 Consumer payments and subscriptions remain the core of the business, contributing 85% to 90% of revenue across the forecast period, with subscriptions already making up 60% to 70% of viewer spend. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026 From female directors making up 18-19 percent of film production to more than 30 percent. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026 Medicaid now covers families making up to 138% of the federal poverty level. — Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 25 June 2026 Congress has to keep making up the gap with general taxpayer funds. — Camila Domonoske, NPR, 28 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for making up

Verb

The work involved the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Aviation Program Office and an integrated test team comprising personnel from the Navy, Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
In practice, that’s resulted in an evolving wealth of SKUs across bags, footwear, and ready-to-wear, comprising new releases and updates on brand heroes.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of comprising

Verb

With her knack for devising novel solutions to seemingly insoluble problems, no one was better suited for the job.

— Dean Robbins, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Mungiu may have a less sadistic streak and a more active camera, but the two filmmakers share a particular commitment to narrative indeterminacy, devising intricate yet incomplete crime-story plots that function broadly as sociopolitical allegories.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of devising

Verb

Room for Disagreement No matter what happens with Permian oil production, the region is set to see a windfall from the influx of hyperscale data centers, including an enormous one Chevron is building southwest of Midland.

— Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
The result is a growing chasm between how the people building AI think about its benefits and how ordinary Americans think about its costs.

— Will Johnson, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of building

Verb

Gash love composing songs whose intersecting lines set the entire mood of the song—jarring, dreamy, or nostalgic—in the style of art-house sampling.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
Lyall pulled out his phone and began composing a message for Claude, the AI app from Anthropic.

— Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of composing

Verb

For textile biotechnology companies, the service could provide access to industrial fermentation equipment without the upfront expense of constructing a dedicated facility.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, environmental activists have been demanding the cancellation of permissions given to AI data centers in Visakhapatnam, where Google is constructing its $15 billion project.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of constructing

Verb

When DeSantis took office and began assembling his team, Florida faced the same cultural pressures as the rest of the country.

— Kimberly Bird, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Ukraine has earned worldwide recognition for its cutting-edge drone industry, designing and assembling systems that have changed modern warfare.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026