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
-
So too does Helen, who handles her own feelings about Callie through her own coping mechanisms, some of which work, most of which don’t, and many of which center on building her own friendship with Minnie.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Patients with substance use disorders have often relied on substances as their escape lever from these deeper problems, rather than developing healthier coping mechanisms.—
Emma Fenske,
The Conversation,
12 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
-
When Game 3 of the 1917 World Series between the White Sox and New York Giants was rained out, Lardner was in New York and wrote a fictional column pretending the game had actually been played.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Naturally, Liz decides to create her own rom-com HAE and rope Wes into helping her win Michael’s heart by pretending to fake date each other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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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In saliva samples from 628 adults, researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi found that people living with obesity host a distinct oral microbiome, one that differs not just in species, but in what those microbes are actively doing.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
14 Feb. 2026
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Gage’s Robert is also no slouch in the come-on department, gushing over Jack’s appearance and enticing him by wearing women’s lingerie and doing you don’t want to know what else.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
An easy place to start is by understanding warm and cool colors, which have different attributes.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Hetzel’s contributions to the documentation and preservation of Imperial County history cannot be understated, acting as a valuable resource into understanding the truth of county infrastructure, development and industry.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Denver’s return from the bye week in Washington was anything but pretty defensively until Nik Bonitto made one of the plays of the season, batting down a deciding two-point conversion attempt in overtime and sealing the Broncos’ eighth straight win.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
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Of course, not all airports serve the same destinations, and differences in travel time and parking fees should be considered when deciding which airport to depart from.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Pitch tipping — the art of deciphering what might be coming based on small tells a pitcher might have — is a legal and common practice.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Health care professionals are now caught between deciphering new legislation and their duty to provide quality care.—
Eleanor Sobel,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Making out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/making%20out. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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