as in potential
often makings plural
the basic elements from which something can be developed
she has all the makings of an excellent leader, but she needs some experience first
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in producing
to bring into being by combining, shaping, or transforming materials
will you help me make the dough for the cookies?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in achieving
to obtain (as a goal) through effort
we finally made it!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in creating
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
the cats made quite a disturbance when they knocked the Christmas tree over
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in fulfilling
to carry through (as a process) to completion
one person from each department will be asked to make a short presentation at the meeting
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
made him do all the work while everyone else just lounged around
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in estimating
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement
I make that to be about six feet long
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in constructing
to form by putting together parts or materials
make a model airplane
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8
as in seeming
to give the impression of being
the family made merry despite their financial worries
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9
as in heading
to go on a specified course or in a certain direction
the baby made straight for the toy lying on the rug
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10
as in enacting
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action
the legislature failed to make any new laws last session
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11
as in earning
to receive as return for effort
I make considerably more money now than I did when I first started working here
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12
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of
what do you make of the latest information?
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13
as in shutting
chiefly dialect
to position (something) so as to prevent passage through an opening
make the gate when ye leave
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of making
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
The Regulation Review Committee voted down the proposals, which have been years in the making, along party lines Tuesday.
—Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026
Sarah Dean, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
Complimentary blankets aren’t always available—or appealing, for that matter—making this a mistake that seasoned travelers learn to plan around.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for making
Noun
The film, which was four years in the making and made between Manchester and the south of France, will feature new and archive interviews with Cantona and Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson as well as interviews with the footballer’s parents, other managers, David Beckham and more.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
The Regulation Review Committee voted down the proposals, which have been years in the making, along party lines Tuesday.
—Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
Trump said today that Iran is making an offer for negotiations but did not provide additional details.
—Sarah Dean, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
Complimentary blankets aren’t always available—or appealing, for that matter—making this a mistake that seasoned travelers learn to plan around.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for making
Recent Examples of Synonyms for making
Noun
-
Max is one of the great composers of our time, and his work has a depth and emotional truth that has the potential to break our hearts.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
-
IntoUniversity helps disadvantaged young people achieve their full potential by building confidence and opening up pathways to future study and careers.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Over the past two seasons, Murdock combined for 298 tackles, almost 50 more than anyone else in the FBS, while producing 30 tackles for loss and seven sacks.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Green cabbage tends to be more common for fermenting, a process by which microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, or fungi) break down sugars and starches in food, producing acids, gases, or alcohol as byproducts.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What went into achieving that brilliant energy between you and Mitchell, behind the scenes?—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Sacking him is an embarrassment for all concerned, but 106 days after his appointment, Chelsea’s executives felt a change was needed to give the club the best possible chance of achieving their remaining aims for the season.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Altman pitched the conversion as critical to securing the vast amount of funding OpenAI needs to fulfill its mission of creating artificial general intelligence — or AGI — that will benefit humanity.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In 2015, Musk, Altman, Greg Brockman, and a handful of others cofounded OpenAI as a nonprofit with the mission of creating AI for the benefit of humanity.—
Tom Dotan,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This was the 10th overall pick the Giants acquired after trading All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals last week, fulfilling his trade request amid a contract dispute.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Cozy nights, redecorating, family affairs or inviting someone sweet into your personal space can feel especially fulfilling.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Things quickly changed, however, as Orlando’s defense stopped forcing turnovers and its offense came to a halt.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The staff union picketed outside the SAG-AFTRA building, where those negotiations were held for the first two weeks, blocking entrances to the parking garage and forcing negotiators to cross a picket line to get inside.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 1999, the Institute of Medicine’s landmark report To Err Is Human shocked the nation by estimating that 44,000 to 98,000 Americans were dying each year from preventable medical errors.—
Joe Kiani,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Across the country, most jobs now require education or training beyond high school, with research estimating that close to three-quarters of jobs will require postsecondary education by 2031.—
Jessica Handy,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To overcome these limitations, researchers propose constructing a continuous field of local reference frames guided by surface geometry and keypoints.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Soft robotics, a subfield of robotics that says robots can be squishy, focuses on constructing robots from highly flexible, deformable materials and systems.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Making.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/making. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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