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

While its top layers are made out of softer contouring foam, including a gel memory foam layer that helps cradle the joints, beneath is a sturdy six-inch coil system and an additional core foam interior layer that helps keep the lower back elevated. —Ashley Zlatopolsky, Architectural Digest, 17 Oct. 2024

Trees are made out of thin air, as sunlight energizes special cells in their leaves called chloroplasts. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2024

There are plant parts [Lego’s trees and bushes] that are made out of plants, of sugar cane. —Amy Feldman, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

One of the better sketches of the night, the game played out as a predictable rehashing of the jokes this troupe have previously made out about these figures and candidates, with a particular focus on the absurdity of Trump still polling ahead of Harris in many key battleground states. —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 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