Learn English Phrasal Verbs:Make
Make has fewer phrasal verbs than get or take, but the common ones do a lot of work: inventing, reconciling, and compensating.
Not sure when the object goes in the middle? Read separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.
make up
invent a false story
He made up an excuse for being late.
He invented an excuse for being late.
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make up
assemble from separate parts
She made up a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
She assembled a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
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make up
become friends again after an argument
They finally made up after their argument.
They finally became friends again after their argument.
With no object it means to become friends again after an argument.
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make out
be able to see
I could barely make out the sign in the fog.
I could barely see the sign in the fog.
Discern something unclear: make out the sign or make the sign out; make it out.
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make out
claim that something is true
He made out that he was the hero of the story.
He claimed that he was the hero of the story.
Claim, often misleadingly: make out that something is true. The that-clause follows out; it does not move between make and out.
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make of
have an opinion about
What do you make of this new technology?
What do you think of this new technology?
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make up for
compensate for a mistake
She tried to make up for her mistake by apologizing.
She tried to compensate for her mistake by apologizing.
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make off
leave quickly
The thief made off before the police arrived.
The thief left quickly before the police arrived.
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8 meanings of 5 make phrasal verbs at a glance
Separable means the object can sit in the middle, and a pronoun has to. Inseparable means it never can. No object means the verb does not take one. Full explanation here.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| make up | invent a false story | Separable |
| make up | assemble from separate parts | Separable |
| make up | become friends again after an argument | No object |
| make out | be able to see | Separable |
| make out | claim that something is true | Clause pattern |
| make of | have an opinion about | Inseparable |
| make up for | compensate for a mistake | Inseparable |
| make off | leave quickly | No object, informal |
About this set
This short pack is for learners who keep meeting make up and are not sure which meaning they heard.
Make up appears here with three senses: invent an excuse, put together a bouquet, and become friends again after an argument. Other senses exist too.
Usage notes
- make up. Here make up means invent, put together, or become friends again. The first two are separable. In they made up after the argument, there is no direct object.
- make out. This pack teaches two senses: discern something unclear and claim something is true. Compare make out the sign with make out that he was the hero. The that-clause stays after out.
- make up for. Make up for means compensate for something: make up for a mistake. Make up lost time without for is also possible when it means replace lost time.
- make off. Leave quickly, often after doing something wrong. Intransitive: they made off with the cash adds a with-phrase for the stolen thing.
Mistakes to avoid
Incorrect: He made up it on the spot.
Correct: He made it up on the spot.
In the invent sense make up is separable, so the pronoun sits in the middle.
Incorrect: They argued on Monday and made up for on Tuesday.
Correct: They argued on Monday and made up on Tuesday.
Reconciling takes no object. Make up for is a different verb meaning compensate.
Incorrect: He wants to make his mistake up for.
Correct: He wants to make up for his mistake.
In this construction, keep the object after for. Do not confuse it with make something up, which can mean invent or replace something lost.
Incorrect: What do you make from it?
Correct: What do you make of it?
Make of is the verb for an opinion, and its preposition is fixed.
Common questions
How do I tell the make up meanings apart?
Read the object and situation. Make up an excuse means invent; make up a bouquet means put together; make up after an argument means become friends again. Make up can also mean constitute, as in international students make up half the class, but that is not a practice entry in this pack.
Is make out the same as make up?
No. Here make out means discern something unclear or claim something is true. Make up means invent, put together, or become friends again. Compare the full sentences, not just the particles.