List of common expressions with "make" with examples and meanings. Phrases can be formed as "verb followed by noun" or used as "idioms".
Collocations and Idioms with "Make"
Here are 35 Collocations and idioms with "make" with examples and meanings:
1. Make a break for (someone or something): To run suddenly and at high speed toward someone or something.
- Our taxi was late picking us up, so I'm going to have to make a break for the train when we get to the station!
2. Make a deal (with one): To successfully achieve or negotiate a deal or agreement, especially regarding an acceptable price or exchange for something.
- The president made a deal with industrial lobbyists, promising to reduce taxes in exchange for jobs returning to the country.
3. Make a list: Literally, to make a list.
- She is making a list of everyone who has expressed an interest.
4. Make a promise: Literally, to make a promise.
- I made a promise to my mother to always take care of my siblings.
5. Make an appointment: Literally, to book an appointment.
- I'd like to make an appointment with Doctor Ahmed, please.
6. Make an excuse: Literally, to make an excuse.
- I suppose I could make an excuse.
7. Make an effort: Literally, to make an effort.
- We need to make an effort to do well in this competition.
8. Make (something) easy: Literally, to make something easy.
- He didn’t make it easy for me to leave.
9. Make up your mind
A: To make a final decision after a period of consideration. Also seen as "make (one's) mind up."
- I've made up my mind, and I think we should move after all.
B: To become convinced of a particular course of action. Also seen as "make (one's) mind up."
- Right then and there, I made up my mind that I would become a police officer when I grew up.
10. Make a wide stride: To make great and rapid progress or advancement.
- The one-time political advisor has been making a wide stride toward absolute control of the country.
11. Make a secret of (something): To try to hide something; to keep something secret.
- I've never made a secret of my plan to eventually sell the company.
12. Make a world of difference: To create a very noticeable effect, especially a vast improvement.
- A fresh coat of paint has made a world of difference in that old house.
13. Make a quick buck: To make money quickly and/or without effort, often through dishonest, unscrupulous, or ethically dubious means.
- The people hawking T-shirts commemorating the tragedy are just looking to make a quick buck.
14. Make a quick killing: To earn a large profit in a short period of time.
- Investing takes a lot of time and patience—it's not the type of area where you'll make a quick killing.
15. Make a practice of (doing something): To do something habitually.
- I've made a practice of doing 50 pushups every morning when I get out of bed.
16. Make a production (out) of (something): To make something much more elaborate, complicated, and/or difficult than it is or needs to be.
- We're just going for a drive into the countryside for the afternoon. I don't know why you're making a big production out of it.
17. Make a pitch for (something): To make a presentation to influence others to support, purchase, or agree to something.
- Wanda will be making a pitch for her new product idea at the meeting today.
18. Make a pit stop
A: To come to a stop during an auto race to repair or refuel the racing vehicle. The area where the vehicle stops is known as the "pit."
- With only three laps left, he'll have to decide whether to make a pit stop or try to reach the finish without running out of gas.
B: By extension, to make a short stop during a car trip to eat, rest, or refuel.
- I knew it was going to be a long drive from New York to Florida, so I planned to make several pit stops along the way to give myself a break.
19. Make a play for (someone or something)
A: To attempt to attract someone romantically.
- I know she's way out of my league, but I'm going to make a play for Stacy.
B: To attempt to attain something, often through some kind of plan or scheme.
- We need a quarterback, so we're going to make a play for Jones in the offseason.
20. Make a move
A: To take a decisive action intended to achieve a goal or start the process of achieving it.
- Greg told me that he intends to make a move to get the boss's attention at this meeting, so I'm curious to see what he has planned.
B: To begin leaving some place.
- We told the babysitter we'd be back by 10, so we should start making a move.
21. Make a mockery (out) of (something): To treat something in a way that shows contempt for it, or makes it seem foolish.
- As usual, Hal made a mockery of the assignment, starting every sentence with the letter Y for no reason.
22. Make a muck of (something): To ruin, bungle, or spoil something. Primarily heard in UK.
- I'm afraid the accounting department made a complete muck of these numbers. We'll need to tally the entire ledger again.
23. Make noise (about something): To be very outspoken about something, especially that which one dislikes or disagrees with.
- Consumers have begun making a lot more noise about policies of the company that they claim are manipulative and predatory.
24. Make a name for (oneself): To establish oneself in a particular field or area; to become well-known.
- It took a long time and a bunch of supporting roles, but I've finally made a name for myself as an actor.
25. Make a packet: To make a very large amount of money, especially by doing something very successfully.
- We'll make a packet if we can manage to secure a trading partner in China.
26. Make a mess: To leave something in a state of disarray, clutter, or dirtiness.
- I always make a mess when I'm baking, but I don't mind cleaning it up afterward.
27. Make a man (out) of (one): To impel a young man to mature into an adult through some kind of experience.
- I was just a kid when I came out of college, but my first few months at a real job made a man out of me. Here are Academy Prep, we take your son and make a man of him.
27. Make a mountain of a molehill: To exaggerate or put too much focus on a minor issue and make it seem like a major one.
- This is a minor setback. Let's not make a mountain of a molehill.
28. Make a fuss: To be a nuisance or cause a disturbance by complaining, arguing, etc. (about something).
- At most big box stores, if you make a fuss about a product that didn't meet your expectations, you'll almost definitely get a refund.
29. Make a fresh start: To have a chance to begin something anew.
- I'm excited to make a fresh start at my new job.
30. Make a good/bad/etc. fist of (something): To do or complete something to a degree of satisfaction that is specified by an adjective immediately preceding "fist." Primarily heard in UK.
- Wow, you and the lads made a good fist of painting the house!
31. Make a fool (out) of (someone or oneself): To do something that makes someone or oneself seem stupid or ridiculous.
- I'm not going to dance too much at the party because I don't want to make a fool out of myself in front of my coworkers.
32. Make a false step
A: Literally, to misstep or stumble while one is walking.
- I made a false step on the mountain path and nearly went tumbling over a cliff!
B: By extension, to make an unwise, miscalculated, or blundering act or decision.
- It seems now that the president might have made a false step with that decision.
33. Make a face (at someone): To make a distorted, silly, or humorous facial expression (at someone), usually for one's own or someone else's amusement, or as a show of disgust.
- Young lady, don't you make a face at me! You will eat your broccoli or you won't have any dessert.
34. Make a nuisance of (oneself): To become a source of disruption, irritation, or difficulty (for someone or something).
- We have to make a nuisance of ourselves, or these companies will never take our complaints seriously.
35. Make a nuisance of (oneself): To become a source of disruption, irritation, or difficulty (for someone or something).
- We have to make a nuisance of ourselves, or these companies will never take our complaints seriously.
References