make out

verb

made out; making out; makes out

transitive verb

1

: to complete (something, such as a printed form) by supplying required information

make out a check

2

: to find or grasp the meaning of

tried to make out what had really happened

3

: to form an opinion or idea about : conclude

how do you make that out

4

a

: to represent as being

made them out to be losers

b

: to pretend to be true

made out that he had never heard of me

5

: to represent or delineate in detail

6

: to see and identify with difficulty or effort : discern

make out a ship through the fog

intransitive verb

1

: get along, fare

how are you making out with the new job

2

a

: to engage in sexual intercourse

b

: neck sense 1

Synonyms

• cope
• do
• fare
• get along
• get by
• get on
• manage
• shift

Examples of make out in a Sentence

we're not rich, but we're making out all right

I can't quite make out what she is trying to say.

Recent Examples on the Web

Most of his clothes were made out of durable materials that could be washed and dried overnight. —Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2024

The 13 Best Christmas Tree Storage Options of 2024 How to Clean Christmas Ornaments Ornaments can be tricky to clean since they’re made out of a myriad of materials. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Dec. 2024

The gift was made out of gratitude for the medical care Andrew Taylor recently received from neurosurgeons at Washington University. —Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

The accompanying photo roll chronicled their love affair through pictures of the couple smiling in the car, making out in a photo booth, posing in velvety medieval gear, taking naps and hikes and, in the golden shot, Long getting down on one knee to propose. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

make out

verb

1

: to draw up in writing

make out a shopping list

2

: understand sense 1a

how do you make that out

3

: to represent as being

made her out a hero

4

: to see and identify with difficulty

make out a form in the fog

5

: succeed sense 2

make out well in business

6

: to engage in kissing and petting