[make a splash]{v. phr.} To cause a sensation. •/The brilliant youngpianist, barely 14 years old, made quite a splash on the concert circuit./

[make a stab at]{v. phr.} To try doing something at random withoutsufficient preparation. •/The singer was not familiar with the aria but shedecided to make a stab at it anyhow./ Contrast: STAB IN THE BACK, STAB IN THEDARK.

[make a stand]{v. phr.} 1. To take a firm position on an issue. •/Hekeeps talking about politics hut he never makes a stand for what he believesin./ 2. To take up a defensive position against the enemy. •/The retreatingtroops decided to make a stand by the river./ Contrast: LAST DITCH, LASTSTAND.

[make a stir] See: MAKE A SCENE.

[make a touch]{v. phr.} To borrow money; try to borrow money. •/Heis known to make a touch whenever he is hard up for cash./

[make a virtue of necessity]{v. phr.} Make the best of things as theyare; do cheerfully what you do. •/After Mr. Wilson lost all his money, hemade a virtue of necessity and found a new and interesting life as ateacher./ Compare: MAKE THE BEST OF.

[make away with]{v.}, {informal} Take; carry away; cause todisappear. •/The lumberjack made away with a great stack of pancakes./•/Two masked men held up the clerk and made away with the payroll./Compare: MAKE OFF.

[make-believe]{n.} False; untrue; created by illusion. •/Thecreatures of Star Wars are all make-believe./

[make believe]{v.} To act as if something is true while one knows itis not; pretend. •/Let’s make believe we have a million dollars./ •/Dannymade believe he didn’t hear his mother calling./

[make book]{v. phr.} To serve as a bookmaker taking bets on the horseraces. •/The police were out to prosecute anybody who made book illegally./

[make both ends meet] See: MAKE ENDS MEET.

[make bricks without straw]{v. phr.} To make something without thewherewithal; do something the hard way; do a job under hard conditions.•/John could not go to a library, and writing the report was a job of makingbricks without straw./ •/It was making bricks without straw to put on playsin that old barn./

[make conversation]{v. phr.} To talk with someone just so that therewill be talk. •/John made conversation with the stranger so that he would notfeel left out./ •/Mary didn’t really mean what she said about Joan. She wasonly making conversation./

[make do]{v. phr.} To use a poor substitute when one does not have theright thing. •/John did not have a hammer, and he had to make do with a heavyrock./ •/This motel isn’t what we wanted, but we must make do./ •/Manyfamilies manage to make do on very little income./ Compare: GET ALONG.

[make ends meet]{v. phr.} To have enough money to pay one’s bills;earn what it costs to live. •/Both husband and wife had to work to make endsmeet./

[make eyes at]{v. phr.}, {informal} To look at a girl or boy in away that tries to attract him to you; flirt. •/The other girls disliked herway of making eyes at their boyfriends instead of finding one of her own./

[make faces at]{v. phr.} To grimace; scowl. •/"Stop making faces ateach other, you children," my aunt said, "and start eating."/

[make for]{v.} To go toward; start in the direction of. •/Thechildren took their ice skates and made for the frozen pond./ •/The bee gothis load of pollen and made for the hive./

[make free with]{v.} 1. To take or use (things) without asking.•/Bob makes free with his roommate’s clothes./ •/A student should notmake free with his teacher’s first name./ 2. To act toward (someone) in arude or impolite way. •/The girls don’t like Ted because he makes free withthem./ Compare: TAKE LIBERTIES.

[make friends]{v. phr.} To become friends; form a friendship. •/Mrs.Jones invited Bobby to her home to play with Don. She hoped that they wouldmake friends with each other./ •/You can make friends with an elephant bygiving him peanuts./

[make fun of] or [poke fun at] {v. phr.}, {informal} To jokeabout; laugh at; tease; mock. •/Men like to make fun of the trimmings onwomen’s hats./ •/James poked fun at the new pupil because her speech wasnot like the other pupils./

[make good]{v. phr.} 1. To do what one promised to do; make somethingcome true. •/Mr. Smith borrowed some money. He promised to pay it back onpayday. He made good his promise./ •/Joe made good his boast to swim acrossthe lake./ •/John’s mother promised to take him and his friends to the zooon Saturday. She made good her promise./ Compare: CARRY OUT. 2. Tocompensate; pay for loss or damage. •/The policeman told the boy’s parentsthat the boy must make good the money he had stolen or go to jail./ — Oftenused in the phrase "make it good". •/The radio was broken while it was beingdelivered so the store had to make it good and send us a new radio./ Compare:MAKE UP. 3. To do good work at one’s job; succeed. •/Kate wanted to be anurse. She studied and worked hard in school. Then she got a job in thehospital and made good as a nurse./

[make good time]{v. phr.} To make unimpeded progress on a journey;arrive at one’s destination sooner than estimated. •/There was not muchtraffic on the expressway so we made good time on our way to the airport./

[make haste]{v. phr.} To move fast; hurry. — Rarely used in speaking.•/The dog wriggled into one end of the hollow log, and the rabbit made hasteto get out the other end./ •/Mary saw that she had hurt Jane’s feelings,and made haste to say she was sorry./ Compare: MAKE TRACKS.

[make haste with] See: HURRY ON WITH.

[make hay while the sun shines]{v. phr.} To do something at the righttime; not wait too long. •/Dick had a free hour so he made hay while the sunshone and got his lesson for the next day./ Compare: MAKE THE MOST OF.

[make head or tail of]{v. phr.}, {informal} To see the why of;finding a meaning in; understand. — Used in negative, conditional, andinterrogative sentences. •/She could not make head or tail of the directionson the dress pattern./ •/Can you make head or tail of the letter?/

[make headway]{v. phr.} To move forward; make progress. •/Theuniversity is making headway with its campus reorganization project./

[make it hot]{v. phr.}, {informal} To bring punishment; causetrouble. •/Dick threatened to make it hot for anyone who tied knots in hispajama legs again./

[make it snappy]{v. phr.}, {informal} To move quickly; be fast;hurry. — Usually used as a command. •/"Make it snappy," Mother said, "orwe’ll be late for the movie."/ •/The man hurried into the restaurant andtold the waitress, "A cup of coffee, and make it snappy."/

[make it with]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. To be acceptedby a group. •/Joe finally made it with the in crowd in Hollywood./ 2.{vulgar} To have sex with (someone). •/I wonder if Joe has made it withSue./

[make light of]{v. phr.} To treat an important matter as if it weretrivial. •/One ought to know which problems to make light of and which onesto handle seriously./ Compare: LAUGH OFF. Contrast: MAKE MUCH OF.