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
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Recent Examples of making out
Thinking about making out more and disco-ing all night long this year?
—
Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
These are songs seeking soul, soul mate, maker, making out and mercy.
—Daniela Avila, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
The two were speculated to be together when the two were making out on Perry’s yacht in August.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 4 Nov. 2025
Someone sent Nicky photos of his wife, Sofia, making out with the problematic Mayor.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
The warmth from the Southwest will also create a drier-than-usual season with precipitation expected to be 50-74% lower than usual, making out-of-season wildfires possible, according to AccuWeather.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Last weekend, the Daily Mail published a series of photographs in which the American pop star Katy Perry was spotted making out on the upper deck of her boat, the Caravelle, with her apparent new love interest, the former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
Hoping to better understand the demand for smutty scares, Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville (Olivia Williams), spend an interminable evening at the theater surrounded by people throwing popcorn and making out while the topless woman onscreen is tortured and killed in a masked man’s dungeon.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2025
Patrick took it surprisingly well, because Kacie kept making out with him and confirming that her choice had nothing to do with her feelings for him.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
These are songs seeking soul, soul mate, maker, making out and mercy.
—Daniela Avila, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
The two were speculated to be together when the two were making out on Perry’s yacht in August.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 4 Nov. 2025
Someone sent Nicky photos of his wife, Sofia, making out with the problematic Mayor.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
The warmth from the Southwest will also create a drier-than-usual season with precipitation expected to be 50-74% lower than usual, making out-of-season wildfires possible, according to AccuWeather.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Last weekend, the Daily Mail published a series of photographs in which the American pop star Katy Perry was spotted making out on the upper deck of her boat, the Caravelle, with her apparent new love interest, the former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
Hoping to better understand the demand for smutty scares, Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville (Olivia Williams), spend an interminable evening at the theater surrounded by people throwing popcorn and making out while the topless woman onscreen is tortured and killed in a masked man’s dungeon.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2025
Patrick took it surprisingly well, because Kacie kept making out with him and confirming that her choice had nothing to do with her feelings for him.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for making out
Verb
-
Get rid of your ex's belongings and gifts This coping mechanism is one for people of legal drinking age.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Ever since Cile was swept away by the floodwaters that swamped Camp Mystic in the Texas Hill Country last summer, her mother has been coping with her grief by writing her daughter a letter every day.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The level of supervision gives parents a chance to rest easy, knowing that their kids are in good hands.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Typical zero-knowledge proofs require a demonstration of how to build what’s called a simulator, which can re-create the steps of the proof without actually knowing the secret solution.—
Peter Hall,
Scientific American,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Chris Kreider, winger, B+ Jacob Trouba, defenseman, B+ Both players were jettisoned by the New York Rangers, who sunk in the standings and have continued selling off after pretending as though their leadership group was the issue.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
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The new study provides the first evidence of an animal pretending in a situation researchers could control.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Large language models represent the first technology capable of analyzing, contextualizing and deriving insights from this avalanche of information.—
Sahar Hashmi,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Resolve this by walking your own path (literally) and deriving support from people who are capable of caring about you.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The Minneapolis police chief says the difference between their policies on dealing with protesters and what federal officers have been doing is immediately clear.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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For Jones, doing his part meant observing, which led to at least four officers jumping on his back, handcuffing him, crushing his legs, and grinding his forehead into the frozen concrete.—
Evan Minsker,
Rolling Stone,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Through outreach campaigns, reminders, and accessible digital resources, Pet Parent encourages informed ownership practices such as keeping contact information current and understanding local care requirements.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
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But understanding how this works — who pays and how, who benefits and how — can help with decision-making.—
Liz Weston,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Austria and Canada coming from 2-1 down to beat Japan and Brazil, the latter coming from Liam Draxl seeing out a win over Gustavo Heide despite rolling his ankle in the seventh game of the deciding rubber.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The veteran skier had previously ruptured her ACL in her left knee before deciding to still compete in this year's Olympic Games.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Health care professionals are now caught between deciphering new legislation and their duty to provide quality care.—
Eleanor Sobel,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
-
As an avalanche and dead bodies ratchet up the suspense, Zach must lean on his mother’s wisdom to fight for his life while deciphering a confusing undercurrent of danger, violence and betrayal among the survivors.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Making out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/making%20out. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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