MAKE OUT Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

make out

verb

Definition of make out

as in to cope

to meet one's day-to-day needs we're not rich, but we're making out all right

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to understand

to have a clear idea of I can't quite make out what she is trying to say

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to pretend

to take on a false or deceptive appearance he tried to make out that he didn't mind losing his job, but friends suspected he was desperately worried

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to derive

to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information as best as I can make out, the police were informed of the incident but didn't think it was worth investigating

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 out And then the other thing was that my friends who were in the audience told me that people in the audience were making out, not only dancing, but actually making out. — Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026 Surely it's made out of foam or wood, painted to look like a real axe? — New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2026 The agent’s story peters out at the end; Simon photographs a quilt made out of T-shirts from his many law-enforcement jobs which his girlfriend commissioned for him from Etsy. — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026 The drones, which fly autonomously but are monitored by a team of controllers, are equipped with sensors that can make out shapes and forms for navigation purposes. — John Aguilar, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for make out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for make out

Verb

People with the second phenotype, called durable, might have grown up in a predictable world—for example, a strict religious sect or just a family that experienced little change—and developed only certain coping strategies as a result.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Multiple uses John LoRusso, UConn master gardener coordinator for Windham County, said that leaves are a free precious resource for gardens and wildlife, offering nutrients for the soil and helping plants better cope through the winter months.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of cope

Verb

But the really impactful part is understanding the function and developing it into a tool.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
The committee isn’t fully aware of the muddy bog in which Taverner is currently sinking, but Lamb is starting to understand the shape of it.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of understand

Verb

Lee ingratiates himself by pretending to be interested in becoming a CO himself — attracted to the manliness and the glamor.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
In a news release, police said that 25-year-old Baldwin Park resident Juan Carlos Amaya contacted the teenage girl via Snapchat and began talking to her while pretending to be 17 years old.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of pretend

Verb

People with alpha-gal syndrome may experience allergic reactions after consuming mammalian meat or other products derived from mammals, including certain dairy products.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
The plant makes renewable glycols, ingredients used to produce polyester that are usually derived from fossil fuels.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of derive

Verb

PhotoTat can have additional practical applications, including for medical tattoos like those done on cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 19 Oct. 2026
OpenAI has reportedly floated the idea of giving the government up to a 5% stake in the company and suggested other leading AI companies do the same.

— Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of do

Verb

Depending on the machine and settings, that material ends up in a purge tower built alongside the print, or in a collection of little plastic doll's-house-looking spaghetti balls, affectionately known as printer poop.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Cringing can therefore manifest as the abashment of not knowing (yet; possibly ever) how to read something.

— Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of know

Verb

How hair supplements work The oral-versus-topical distinction matters more than most marketing lets on.

— Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
As for 5-star quarterback Julian Lewis, who was demoted last week, there seems to be more to the situation than Deion is intentionally letting on.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of let on

Verb

Bruni said the pope's doctors would decide if there were any changes expected to his discharge date.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Where the thresholds sit, which harms count, who audits what – that’s for legislators, lawyers, technologists and ethicists to decide.

— Giorgos Tsetis, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of decide

Browse Nearby Words

make-or-break

make out

make over

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Cite this Entry

Style

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

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Synonyms of make out

verb

Example Sentences

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