MAKING OUT Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

making out

verb

present participle of make out

as in coping

to meet one's day-to-day needs we're not rich, but we're making out all right

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in knowing

to have a clear idea of I can't quite make out what she is trying to say

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of making out This surge is driven by state funding compacts and a commitment to growing California undergraduate enrollment, making out-of-state admission increasingly competitive. — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 On July 1, Rodriguez and Hayden were spotted making out at Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin’s White Party, one month after his split from Jaclyn Cordeiro. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026 Not the family stuff, like Natalie’s spontaneous nipple piercing after making out with Cady’s maybe-daughter, Nevaeh (Malia Pyles), who later murders her own mother after kissing her, for way too long, on the mouth. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026 The finale concluded on an uncomfortable cliffhanger between Benny and Carmen, as the former walked in on the latter making out with his crush Miles (Rish Shah), leading to an unexpected confrontation in which Benny is accidentally outed to his sister. — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 6 June 2026 In the finale, which aired earlier this month, they were caught on camera making out. — Sarah Hearon, Entertainment Weekly, 27 May 2026 With commodities, when geopolitical tensions or inflation fears spike, investors often scramble for upside calls, making out-of-the-money options expensive relative to at-the-money options. — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 13 May 2026 After a few minutes, your eyes gradually adjust, and the performers, the maybe-lovers, come into view, flesh on the ground, writhing and making out and embracing. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 8 May 2026 That means skateboarding, sneaking beers, making out, looking for trouble, running from trouble and, to judge from the trailer, floating through space. — ABC News, 1 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for making out

Verb

Stories on family dynamics include being bribed with McDonald’s to keep secrets and coping with the loss of his mother before his father quickly remarried.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 July 2026
Re-emphasize coping skills like taking deep breaths, taking mental health days, and being kind to yourself.

— Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 31 July 2026

Definition of coping

Verb

One staffer who is still at the CDC said much of her anger is tied up in knowing that Kennedy’s feelings about vaccines are similar to the shooter’s.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
There’s a quiet comfort in knowing your neighbors, especially in a sprawling, sometimes lonely city like Los Angeles.

— Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of knowing

Verb

Alvin Kan, chief operating officer of Bitget Wallet, said on the On The Margin podcast that freelancers and remote workers already treat a self-custody crypto wallet as a place to keep working capital, and that the share doing so is growing.

— Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
At times, he was seen doing stretches, eating food, peering out the windows with binoculars and listening to music with headphones.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of doing

Verb

Order is restored to the kingdom through what is known as the Rumpelstiltskin effect, a term used by psychologists to describe the naming of something in order to create an illusion of understanding it.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Why Boxwoods Turn Brown The key to saving a browning boxwood is understanding why its foliage is fading to begin with, as not all causes are necessarily bad.

— Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of understanding

Verb

But almost immediately, the outbreak seemed to be bigger than the government was letting on.

— Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
And yet based on some of its recent actions, this exec also believes Netflix’s leadership may be more concerned than it’s been letting on.

— Josef Adalian, Vulture, 16 July 2026

Definition of letting on

Verb

Advance preparations should also include deciding who has the authority to change a controversial decision or plan.

— Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year has been working out in hopes of deciding whether to play for the Rams, two years after the future first-ballot Hall of Famer retired.

— Nate Atkins, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026