1
as in comprising
to be all the substance of
the book is made up of 20 chapters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
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
3
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
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Recent Examples of making up
Arteta ended this block of matches before the international break by being adventurous against both Newcastle and West Ham, despite slightly different personnel making up that midfield unit.
—
Art De Roché, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Center, and the bourbon bars and distilleries making up Whiskey Row.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Oct. 2025
The Lumbee Tribe has 60,000 members in Robeson, Hoke, Scotland and Cumberland counties, making up the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River and the ninth largest in the country, the resolution says.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
This stems from the concept of reparations in the popular consciousness being flattened to mean checks for Black people making up for the harms of slavery.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Creators making up to $400,000 a year could claim some portion of the deduction.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
As of Wednesday, only 70,000 Palestinians had evacuated Gaza City out of approximately one million people, a senior Israeli official said, making up less than 10% of the total population.
—Ibrahim Dahman, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Commercial deals, such as the NFL’s billion-dollar TV contracts, however, are shared—making up a large portion of the NFL’s roughly $280 million annual per-team salary cap.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Utility rates could rise as Kentucky LG&E and KU, together making up the state's largest utility, predict electricity demand to grow by up to 45% by 2032 compared to last year, driven mostly by data centers, the Courier Journal reports.
—Sara Chernikoff, The Courier-Journal, 5 Aug. 2025
Art De Roché, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Center, and the bourbon bars and distilleries making up Whiskey Row.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Oct. 2025
The Lumbee Tribe has 60,000 members in Robeson, Hoke, Scotland and Cumberland counties, making up the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River and the ninth largest in the country, the resolution says.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
This stems from the concept of reparations in the popular consciousness being flattened to mean checks for Black people making up for the harms of slavery.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Creators making up to $400,000 a year could claim some portion of the deduction.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
As of Wednesday, only 70,000 Palestinians had evacuated Gaza City out of approximately one million people, a senior Israeli official said, making up less than 10% of the total population.
—Ibrahim Dahman, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Commercial deals, such as the NFL’s billion-dollar TV contracts, however, are shared—making up a large portion of the NFL’s roughly $280 million annual per-team salary cap.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Utility rates could rise as Kentucky LG&E and KU, together making up the state's largest utility, predict electricity demand to grow by up to 45% by 2032 compared to last year, driven mostly by data centers, the Courier Journal reports.
—Sara Chernikoff, The Courier-Journal, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for making up
Verb
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This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
6 Oct. 2025
-
While other services offer thousands of movies, Screambox's library features a significantly smaller selection, comprising only a few hundred titles.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For OpenAI especially, devising new revenue streams is crucial.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The two quickly built a rapport, and Preservation began sending ‘Nandez beats, eventually inviting him to New Orleans to hang out while devising the project’s sonic core and predominant themes.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Breslow noted the duality of disappointment and optimism regarding the organization’s direction after years of building for the future.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Those who instead see a flexible talent pool as a strategic advantage in building a dynamic and flexible company probably will fare better.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For Ares, Nine Inch Nails will be composing the soundtrack, bringing their iconic industrial rock sound to the Grid.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The difference is that composing while in motion may be a particularly useful way to address a crisis in creativity.—
Karen Palmer
September 19,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Orbán has long sought to consolidate his power through concocting scapegoats for Hungary’s ills.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Not only is the kitchen fully on display but a separate alcove is given over to his highly technical lab, a play space dedicated to fermentation, aging, preserving and otherwise concocting.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Workers have finished constructing the large yellow capsule on a wharf near Shanghai.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
-
From constructing ramps to inventing imaginative new worlds, Rail Racers proves Magna-Tiles are endlessly modular and fun.—
Emily Glover,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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According to the project team, the successful installation of the Dewar base provides the foundation for assembling the reactor’s core systems.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Oct. 2025
-
After assembling the nearly 10-inch towering figure, featuring poseable legs, wings, and head, kids can activate stud shooters under each wing.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
From constructing ramps to inventing imaginative new worlds, Rail Racers proves Magna-Tiles are endlessly modular and fun.—
Emily Glover,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Berners-Lee is admired in a similar spirit—not only for inventing the web but for refusing to patent it.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Making up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/making%20up. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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