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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 People wear flannel and denim while making out in the storage room of the local watering hole. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026 The book has the teens making out the first night things went from friends to something more, but the show took it to another level with Bret and Debbie having sex on a lounge chair at a party. — Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026 On the night of the Sex Purge, the streets are flooded with attractive, thin, largely heterosexual couples making out all over the place. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 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 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for making out

Verb

That might be due to grit, stamina—or a little psychological trick called a coping mantra.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Navigating that grief can be difficult and coping with it looks different for everyone.

— Cody Godwin, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of coping

Verb

Any pause and retracement back into that gap gives investors an opportunity to start to accumulate shares knowing that the $230 level should now act as support.

— Jay Woods, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Before work gives way to the weekend, take a few minutes to catch up on the California stories worth knowing today.

— James Ward, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of knowing

Verb

Nurse also has a history of violence in Miami-Dade, Florida, prosecutors said, where he was sentenced to five years of probation for deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution in November 2019.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
Understand that your parents must be deriving some satisfaction from encouraging your brother’s dependency.

— Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of deriving

Verb

While doing so has helped millions of individuals access the power of electronics, the shrinking size of transistors is presenting problems at mass manufacturing scales.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Alicia McCalla, 56, a fiction writer who has been doing voice work for five years out of her home in Atlanta, decided to ignore union suggestions and clone her voice.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of doing

Verb

His drive, his motor, understanding his role, just being there for his teammates.

— David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
For drivers wondering what a car warranty actually covers, understanding the basics upfront can prevent surprises when a claim relies on proof of regular maintenance.

— Michael Kurko, USA Today, 25 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

Even highly mature enterprise SOCs frequently remain dependent on humans assembling information from multiple systems, determining whether something is malicious and deciding what should happen next.

— Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Car shoppers weigh several factors before deciding on a vehicle.

— McKynzie Steward, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026