make up

Formsmakes up, making up, made up

1. 1
   inventphrasal verbtransitive

   To invent a story or excuse that is not true.

   He made up an excuse about a sick grandmother to skip practice.

   Kids love to make up stories about dragons and secret castles.

   Similarinvent, fabricate, concoct, fake, manufacture

2. 2
   form a wholephrasal verbtransitive

   To be the parts that together form a whole.

   Women make up more than half of the class this year.

   The team is made up of players from six different countries.

   Similarform, compose, constitute, comprise

   Note
3. 3
   reconcilephrasal verbtransitive or intransitive

   To become friends again after a fight or argument.

   After a long talk, the brothers made up their quarrel and shook hands.

   Why don't you call her and make up?

   Similarreconcile, settle, resolve

   Oppositequarrel

   Note
4. 4
   compensatephrasal verbintransitive

   To do something good to balance out something bad or missing.

   He brought flowers to make up for forgetting her birthday.

   A sunny afternoon made up for the rainy morning.

   Similarcompensate, offset

   Note
5. 5
   apply cosmeticsphrasal verbreflexivetransitive or intransitive

   To put makeup on your face or on someone's face.

   She made up her face carefully before the party.

   Give me five minutes to make up and find my shoes.

   Note
6. 6
   phrasal verbtransitive

   To replace or supply something that is missing, such as lost time.

   If you miss a class, you can make up the work on Saturday.

   He made up the lost time by driving a little faster.

   Similarrecover, regain, recoup

   Oppositelose

   Note
7. 7
   noun · make-upuncountable

   Alternative spelling of makeup. It means the same thing and is written with a hyphen.

   She keeps her make-up in a small bag by the mirror.

   The make-up of the class changed when three new students arrived.

   Note
8. 8
   preparephrasal verbtransitive

   To put things together to make something, like a meal, a medicine, or clothes.

   Grandma can make up a big pot of soup from whatever is in the fridge.

   The tailor made up the dress in just three days.

   Similarprepare, fill, assemble

   Note
9. 9
   draw up (list)phrasal verbtransitive

   To write or put together a list or a document.

   Let's make up a list of everything we need for the trip.

   The teacher made up a schedule for the whole week.

   Similarcompile, prepare, draft

10. 10
    phrasal verbreflexivetransitive or intransitive

    To get an actor ready for a show with costume and makeup.

    A team of helpers made up the actors as old men and women.

    The dancers make up in a small room behind the stage.

11. 11
    after a fightadjective · make-upcolloquial

    Connected with making peace after a fight or argument.

    After the argument they went out for a make-up dinner.

    He bought her flowers as a make-up present.

    Note
12. 12
    win favorphrasal verbintransitive

    To be very friendly to someone to win their affection or approval.

    He kept making up to the boss, hoping for a promotion.

    Everyone could see that she was trying to make up to the new neighbor.

    Similarcourt, woo, flatter

    Note

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