make-do 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of make-donext
as in makeshift

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

make do

2 of 2

phrase

as in cope
to meet one's day-to-day needs She could make do just fine and didn't need anyone's help.

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 make-do
Adjective
Yet even this make-do meal felt extravagant. — Reem Kassis, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025 The show has a punk rock, garage band, DIY, mix tape, basement, make-do sensibility, flowing from the band and album inspiring its title. — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Phrase
The 2019 Speedster followed in a long line of roofless performers dating back to the earliest days of the company, but that machine made do with a cumbersome fabric top that took minutes to manually attach. — Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2026 Both spacecraft also carry instruments to measure the planet's magnetic field, offering simultaneous observations of different parts of the field to scientists who typically make do with data gathered from just one location at a time. — Meghan Bartels, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for make-do
Recent Examples of Synonyms for make-do
  1. makeshift
  2. make ends meet
  3. backup
  4. substitute
  5. stopgap
Adjective
  • Kisky wasted no time bailing out of his makeshift observation post.
    — Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Outside their perimeters, vendors hawked noodles and cigarettes from makeshift stalls.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of makeshift
Phrase
  • The film includes flashbacks to his time in the war and features a parallel story about his young carer struggling to make ends meet.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, 8 in 10 Gen Z and millennial workers report holding two jobs to make ends meet.
    — Heather Occhino, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of make ends meet
Adjective
  • Agencies that provided backup service in the city while Ann Arbor Fire Department was on this call included Saline Area Fire Authority, Superior Township Fire Department and Dexter Area Fire Department.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Jaguars had trouble with a backup long snapper but the field goals were chip shots.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of backup
Adjective
  • With zero acting gigs on the horizon and weary of taking handouts from Tori, Trina returns to Hollywood Arts for a substitute teaching position.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The Sounders regained a two-goal advantage in the 83rd minute when substitute Paul Arriola used another assist from Rusnák and one from 20-year-old rookie Sebastian Gomez — his third — to score for the second time this season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of substitute
Adjective
  • This is, after all, an institution that frequently has trouble passing stopgap spending bills and conducting routine legislative business.
    — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Both opponents were clearly in a transition period, quarterbacked by stopgap veterans in Jacoby Brissett and Kirk Cousins, respectively.
    — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of stopgap

Browse Nearby Words

make common cause
make-do
make do
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Make-do.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make-do. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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