makes out

present tense third-person singular of make out
1
2
3
4
as in derives
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information as best as I can make out, the police were informed of the incident but didn't think it was worth investigating

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of makes out Even Fraser makes out with Rainbeau and Damo. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for makes out
Verb
  • Gemini copes through logic and distraction, while Pisces feels everything at once.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 May 2026
  • Meanwhile, Annie as played by Tess Barthélémy copes in two ways with being surrounded by caricaturish oppressors.
    Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • Calmus knows firsthand what NICU families face.
    Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 20 June 2026
  • From Louis through the book, and then his mother knows exactly how to string him along, when to give him love and when to take it away.
    Precious Fondren, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • Beauty, then, arises from the pain and struggle of experiencing oneself as a site of divine truancy, and ugly is that which pretends to be directly equivalent to the soul, God, etc.
    Esther Yi, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
  • The person on the phone pretends to be IT support and tries to convince the employee to install remote desktop software.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
Verb
  • Soccer derives its beauty from its simplicity.
    Leander Schaerlaeckens June 8, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
  • The result is a relentless flood of advice that derives its authority not from expertise but from personal testimony, endlessly reinforcing the idea that your feelings are your most important parenting instrument.
    Nina Bandelj, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
Verb
  • Cohesion is the trick, and color does most of the work.
    Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2026
  • Nor does a forecast cone capture every place that may experience dangerous conditions.
    Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Hughton, whose father is from Accra, understands the frustration of a fanbase starved of success for so long.
    Simon Hughes, New York Times, 17 June 2026
  • Reid understands that people are used to seeing her as her characters or through the lens of her projects but that’s not the full picture.
    Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Lucky decides to take Mason to his first baseball game in Atlanta, only to encounter a series of complications and setbacks for which fatherhood, grief, and economic barriers are a distinct part of the Black American experience.
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 19 June 2026
  • Outgoing Mayor Vi Lyles has announced her intent to resign by June 30 or whenever the council decides on her replacement.
    Zaire Breedlove, Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • In July, a few dozen more parking spaces will be added to the Shoreline Amphitheater parking lot, bringing the total to about 200 spaces the nonprofit manages.
    Sharon Chin, CBS News, 18 June 2026
  • For example, our company manages 45,000 hectares of eucalyptus forest.
    Flavio Maluf, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Makes out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/makes%20out. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster