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Synonyms of 'make'

make

Explore 'make' in the dictionary
1 (verb) 
Definition
to bring about or produce
The crash made a noise like a building coming down.
Synonyms
produce
Cooking with spices produces a wonderful smell.
cause
I don't want to cause any trouble.
create
He's creating a whole new language of painting.
effect
lead to
occasion (formal)
The incident occasioned a full-scale parliamentary row.
generate
The minister said the reforms would generate new jobs.
bring about
give rise to
engender
Insults engender hatred against those who indulge in them.
beget (old-fashioned)
Poverty begets debt.
2 (verb) 
Definition
to carry out or perform
I made a gesture at him and turned away.
Synonyms
perform
people who have performed outstanding acts of bravery
do
I was trying to do some work.
act out
effect
Prospects for effecting real political change have taken a step backward.
carry out
engage in
execute
The landing was skilfully executed.
prosecute
To prosecute this war is costing the country fifteen million pounds a day.
3 (verb) 
We've got to make a decision by next week.
Synonyms
reach
a nightshirt that reached to his knees
come to
establish
conclude
We concluded that he was telling the truth.
seal
The group has sealed a deal to sell its products in China.
settle on
determine on
4 (verb) 
Definition
to deliver
I've been asked to make a speech.
Synonyms
give
He gave no details of his plans.
deliver
He will deliver a speech about schools.
pronounce
Have I pronounced your name correctly?
utter
They departed without uttering a word.
recite
They recited poetry to one another.
5 (verb) 
Definition
to win or score
He made 1,972 runs for the county
Synonyms
score
They scored 282 runs in their first innings.
gain
amass
win
notch up (informal)
chalk up (informal)
The team chalked up one win after another.
6 (verb) 
Definition
to cause to do or be
You can't make me do anything.
Synonyms
force
They forced him to work round-the-clock.
cause
press
The trade unions are pressing him to stand firm.
compel
the introduction of legislation to compel cyclists to wear a helmet
drive
Curiosity drove me to probe into what they worked on together.
require
The rules require employers to provide safety training.
oblige
This decree obliges unions to delay strikes.
induce
I would do anything to induce them to stay.
railroad (informal)
constrain
Individuals will be constrained to make many sacrifices for the greater good.
coerce
He argued that the government had coerced him into resigning.
impel
I felt impelled to go on speaking.
dragoon
He had been dragooned into the excursion.
pressurize
He thought she was trying to pressurize him into agreeing.
prevail upon
7 (verb) 
Definition
to appoint
They made him transport minister.
Synonyms
appoint
It made sense to appoint a banker to this job.
name
The Scots have yet to name their team.
select
elect
The people have voted to elect a new president.
invest
He was invested as a paramount chief of a district tribe.
install
A new Catholic bishop was installed yesterday.
nominate
It is legally possible for an elderly person to nominate someone to act for them.
assign
Did you choose this country or were you simply assigned here?
designate
We need to designate someone as our spokesperson.
hire as
cast as
employ as
ordain
Her brother had been ordained as a priest.
vote in as
recruit as
engage as
enlist as
8 (verb) 
Definition
to create, construct, establish, or draw up
They now make cars at two plants in Europe.
Synonyms
create
build
Developers are now proposing to build a hotel on the site.
produce
The company produces circuitry for communications systems.
manufacture
The first three models are being manufactured at our factory in Manchester.
form
The bowl was formed out of clay.
model
Sometimes she carved wood or modelled clay.
fashion
The desk was fashioned out of oak.
shape
Like it or not, our families shape our lives.
frame
construct
The boxes should be constructed from rough-sawn timber.
assemble
She was trying to assemble the bookcase when it collapsed.
compose
They agreed to form a council composed of leaders of the rival factions.
forge
They agreed to forge closer economic ties.
mould
We moulded a statue out of mud.
put together
originate
No-one knows who originated this story.
fabricate
All the tools are fabricated from high-quality steel.
9 (verb) 
You wash while I make some lunch.
Synonyms
prepare
She found him in the kitchen, preparing dinner.
cook
put together
get ready
whip up
concoct
He said the prisoner had concocted the story to get a lighter sentence.
throw together
dish up
fix (US, informal)
She fixed some food for us.
jack up (New Zealand, informal)
10 (verb) 
Definition
to create, construct, establish, or draw up
Make a list of your questions beforehand.
Synonyms
compile
write
She wrote articles for magazines in Paris.
produce
So far he has produced only one composition he deems suitable for performance.
draft
He drafted a standard letter.
pen
She penned a short memo to his private secretary.
compose
He started at once to compose a reply to her letter.
draw up
formulate
He formulated his plan for escape.
11 (verb) 
Definition
to create, construct, establish, or draw up
The only person who makes rules in this house is me.
Synonyms
enact
The bill would be submitted for discussion before being enacted as law.
form
She rapidly formed a plan.
pass
The Senate passed the bill by a vote of seventy-three to twenty-four.
establish
He has established himself as a pivotal figure in US politics.
fix
institute
We will institute a number of methods to improve safety.
frame
A convention was set up to frame a constitution.
devise
We devised a scheme to help him.
lay down
draw up
12 (verb) 
Definition
to earn or be paid
How much money did we make?
Synonyms
earn
The dancers can earn up to £130 for each session.
get
He gets a pitifully low salary.
gain
The company didn't disclose how much it expects to gain from the deal.
net
The state government expects to net about 1.46 billion rupees.
win
The first correct entry will win the prize.
clear
The company cleared over £57 million profit last year.
secure
His achievements helped him to secure the job.
realize
A selection of correspondence from P.G. Wodehouse realized £1,232.
obtain
Evans was trying to obtain a false passport.
acquire
She has acquired a 50% stake in the company.
bring in
take in
fetch
The painting is expected to fetch two million pounds.
13 (verb) 
Definition
to become
She'll make a fine artist, if she gets the right training.Your idea will make a good book.
Synonyms
be
become
After leaving school, he became a professional footballer.
form
Women formed the majority of the group's membership.
represent
These developments represent a change.
serve as
come to be
embody
develop into
grow into
act as
function as
14 (verb) 
Definition
to amount to
They are adding three aircraft carriers. That makes six in all.
Synonyms
amount to
total
Their exports will total £85 million this year.
constitute
The country's ethnic minorities constitute 7 per cent of its total population.
add up to
count as
tot up to (informal)
15 (verb) 
Definition
to gain a place or position on or in
The athletes are just happy to make the team.
Synonyms
gain a place in
achieve a place in
get into
attain a place in
16 (verb) 
Definition
to arrive in time for
We made the train, jumping aboard just as it was pulling out.We have to make New Orleans by nightfall.
Synonyms
get to
reach
He did not stop until he reached the door.
catch
We made it in time to catch the ferry.
arrive at
meet
arrive in time for
17 (verb) 
Definition
to consider to be
I make the total for the year £69,599.
Synonyms
calculate
From this we can calculate the total mass in the galaxy.
judge
It is important to judge the weight of your washing load.
estimate
His personal riches were estimated at over £80 million.
determine
The investigation will determine what really happened.
think
She thought he was about seventeen years old.
suppose
The problem was more complex than he supposed.
reckon
The sale has been held up because the price is reckoned to be too high.
work out
compute
I tried to compute the cash value of the ponies and horse boxes.
gauge
He gauged the wind at over thirty knots.
count up
put a figure on
1 (noun) 
Definition
manufacturer
What make of car did he rent?
Synonyms
brand
the British brand of socialism
sort
What sort of person is he?
style
six scenes in the style of a classical Greek tragedy
model
To keep the cost down, opt for a basic model.
build
form
He contracted a rare form of cancer.
mark
Each book was adorned with the publisher's mark at the bottom of the spine.
kind
They developed a new kind of film-making.
type
There are various types of the disease.
variety
She grows 12 varieties of old-fashioned roses.
construction
marque
a marque long associated with motor-racing success
2 (noun) 
Synonyms
nature
She trusted people. That was her nature.
character
There is a side to his character which you haven't seen yet.
make-up
He became convinced that there was some fatal flaw in his make-up.
stamp
humour
Could that have been the source of his good humour?
temper
He's known for his placid temper.
kidney
temperament
His impulsive temperament regularly got him into difficulties.
disposition
his friendly and cheerful disposition
frame of mind
She was not in the right frame of mind to continue.
cast of mind
3 (noun) 
Definition
the way in which something is made
Synonyms
structure
The chemical structure of this particular molecule is very unusual.
cut
The cut of her clothes made her look slimmer and taller.
character
shape
the shapes of the trees against the sky
make-up
the chemical make-up of the atmosphere
constitution
a small research team looking into the chemical constitution of coal
composition
Materials of different composition absorb and reflect light differently.
designation

idioms

See make as if

Phrasal verbs

See make away
See make away or off with something
See make away with someone
See make believe
See make do
See make for someone
See make for something
See make it
See make off
See make out
See make something out
See make something up
See make up
See make up for something
See make up something
See make up to someone
See make up your mind

Quotation

God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another [William Shakespeare – Hamlet]
Copyright © 2016 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

Additional synonyms

in the sense of acquire
Definition
to get or develop (something such as an object, trait, or ability)
She has acquired a 50% stake in the company.
Synonyms
get,
win,
buy,
receive,
land (informal),
score (slang),
gain,
achieve,
earn,
pick up,
bag,
secure,
collect,
gather,
realize,
obtain,
attain,
amass,
procure,
come into possession of
in the sense of assemble
Definition
to put together the parts of (a machine)
She was trying to assemble the bookcase when it collapsed.
Synonyms
put together,
make,
join,
set up,
manufacture,
build up,
connect,
construct,
erect,
piece together,
fabricate,
fit together
in the sense of assign
Definition
to select (someone) for a post or task
Did you choose this country or were you simply assigned here?
Synonyms
select for,
post,
commission,
elect,
appoint,
delegate,
nominate,
name,
designate,
choose for,
stipulate for

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make

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'make'
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Browse alphabetically
make

  • majesty
  • major
  • majority
  • make
  • make a difference to something or someone
  • make a fuss of something or someone
  • make a hash of

  • All ENGLISH synonyms that begin with 'M'

Related terms of
make

  • make do
  • make it
  • make up
  • make away
  • make good

  • View more related words

Source

Thesaurus for make from the Collins English Thesaurus
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ...
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Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1
-

Score: 0 / 5

able or capable?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
capable
able
He's   of loyalty.

chef or chief?

Which version is correct?
I spoke to the chef of UK operations. I spoke to the chief of UK operations.

almost or nearly?

Which version is correct?
It's not almost as nice. It's not nearly as nice.

afraid or frightened?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
frightened
afraid
All I could see was a very   dog.

brand or make?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
brand
make
This is my favourite   of cereal.
Your score:
Sep 01, 2021
Word of the day
calypso
A calypso is a song about a current subject , sung in a style which originally comes from the West Indies .
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Scrabble score
for 'make':
10

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1
-

Score: 0 / 5

made or maid?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
maid
made
She had been due to be a   of honour.

heard or herd?

Which version is correct?
Ahead of us was a large heard of buffalo. Ahead of us was a large herd of buffalo.

pole or poll?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
pole
poll
The truck crashed into a telegraph  .

saw or seen?

Which version is correct?
It was one of the best films I've ever saw.  It was one of the best films I've ever seen. 

freeze or frieze?

Which version is correct?
The top of the room featured a decorative freeze. The top of the room featured a decorative frieze.
Your score:
Updating our Usage
There are many diverse influences on the way that English is used across the world today. We look at some of the ways in which the language is changing. Read our series of blogs to find out more. October 30, 2020 Read more
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