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make out meaning and examples

2025-09-20

Meaning

The phrasal verb make out has several meanings depending on context:

  1. To manage, succeed, or cope in a situation.
  2. To see, hear, or understand something clearly (often with difficulty).
  3. To claim or present something in a certain way.
  4. (Informal) To kiss or engage in physical affection.
  5. To write or complete a form, check, or document.

Grammar and Usage

  • make out + object → “I couldn’t make out what he was saying.”
  • make out (with sb) → “They were making out in the corner.”
  • make sth out to sb → “Please make the check out to John Smith.”
  • Verb type: transitive (when followed by an object) or intransitive (when used alone).

Common Phrases

  • make out well/poorly – to succeed or fail in a situation.
  • make sb/sth out to be – to present or describe as something.
  • make out with sb – to kiss passionately.

Collocations

  • make out a check
  • make out a bill
  • make out the words
  • make out in business
  • make someone out to be

Examples

  1. I couldn’t make out the handwriting on the note.
  2. How did you make out in your exam?
  3. He makes himself out to be an expert, but he isn’t.
  4. It was too dark to make out the road signs.
  5. The cashier asked me to make the check out to the company.
  6. They were making out in the back of the cinema.
  7. I could just make out a figure in the distance.
  8. She made him out to be the villain of the story.
  • Understand
  • Discern
  • Perceive
  • Succeed
  • Pretend
  • Kiss (informal)

Antonym

  • Misunderstand
  • Fail
  • Ignore