make do

1 of 2

phrase

Synonyms of make donext
: to get along or manage with the means at hand
will just have to make do with what we've got

make-do

2 of 2

adjective

make-do noun

Examples of make do in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Phrase
Anyone who has ridden the London Eye, built in the British capital for the millennium celebrations, will wonder why the nation that won the space race has to make do with a Ferris wheel a third of its size. Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 30 June 2026
Adjective
Chess pie hails from an era of make-do pies. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2026 Greenlanders’ self-reliance and make-do adaptation in its unforgiving climate further cement the comparison. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 11 Dec. 2025 Yet even this make-do meal felt extravagant. Reem Kassis, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025 The show has a punk rock, garage band, DIY, mix tape, basement, make-do sensibility, flowing from the band and album inspiring its title. Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025 Some were make-do solutions installed by IT and not documented, and others were put there by employees tired of waiting for more storage. ArsTechnica, 26 May 2025 While teasing the reader with questions about the child’s paternity, Lamont’s story of a make-do family revels in the often comically porous borders of faith, home, and adulthood. The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of make do was in 1923

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Cite this Entry

“Make do.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20do. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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