1
as in coping
to meet one's day-to-day needs
we're not rich, but we're making out all right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of
I can't quite make out what she is trying to say
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pretending
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
he tried to make out that he didn't mind losing his job, but friends suspected he was desperately worried
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in deriving
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 making out
Hugo even snaps a shot of them making out on their break.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
Home planetariums are often dome or round-shaped and offer more than just lasers making out to be stars on a wall and they can definitely be used as STEM and learning tools.
—Alexander Cox, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
Home planetariums are often dome or round-shaped and offer more than just lasers making out to be stars on a wall and they can definitely be used as STEM and learning tools.
—Alexander Cox, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for making out
Verb
-
Encourage healthy coping strategies.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Sidelined since July 15, the WNBA star is dealing with being out for an extended period of time — and coping with being on the bench has been a seemingly unwelcome transition.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Perhaps, though, Kubrick's cold view of Jack and choice to diminish some of King's sympathetic nuances serve to heighten the terror; how much does knowing the complex motivations of a domestic abuser help their victims?—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Participants’ weight, waist size, and body mass index (BMI) were tracked, along with their performance on tests of memory, orientation (for example, knowing the date and who the president is), and executive function (such as drawing a clock face).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
These issues are very real and generally speaking there are very few, if any, magic combinations of settings to cure these problems for many players, and pretending like that’s true is either disingenuous or misinformed.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Scrolling on one’s phone can be a deadening experience, but here’s someone feeling, or at least pretending to feel, a genuine feeling—even if the abundance of these videos surely numbs us further.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Its roots are purely imitative, echoing the sound itself rather than deriving from a concrete Indo-European root.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In doing so, Martin implicated billionaire bankers, major American corporations, and Colombia’s political elite.—
Martin Suarez,
Rolling Stone,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Back on the balcony, the magician was doing his best to charm basketball players Devin Booker and Jordan Clarkson with card tricks.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In July, a judge said Decarlos Brown might not be mentally capable of understanding previous charges against him.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
With a background in psychology, intercultural studies, and past work for a professional study abroad agency, Stephens is an endless resource for understanding the cultural variations that come with immigrating to new places globally.—
Essence,
Essence,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Palmer was part of a movement deciding to try something else instead of college.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
-
When deciding costumes, Heimann worked with Crowe to create scene-specific outfits, assembling a closet of clothes for each character.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For families deciphering what’s necessary and what to skip in a skin regimen, building a healthy routine for kids can be easy to manage.—
Khanh T.L. Tran,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
-
To make deciphering all these invites a little easier, here’s what to know about formal attire.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Making out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/making%20out. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share