make up

Short definition: The phrase make up means to invent something, such as a story, or to reconcile after an argument, depending on context.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the phrasal verb make up? This is a very flexible and common expression in English. It can mean reconciling after a fight, inventing something, compensating for something lost, or even forming part of a whole. Because it has many meanings, the context is extremely important. Below are detailed meanings with realistic examples so you can clearly understand how make up works in daily English.

make up v. /ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/

Forms: make up, makes up, made up, making up
Related: makeup n., composition n., reconcile v., invent v.
Syllable: make-up

(Verb) To become friends again after an argument.
To make up most commonly means resolving a conflict and becoming friendly again after a disagreement. It often involves apologizing, forgiving, and moving forward. This meaning is very common in relationships and friendships.

After arguing for hours, they finally made up and agreed to talk calmly next time.

I hope you two can make up soon because it’s awkward seeing you ignore each other.

They had a small fight but quickly made up and laughed about it later.

Synonyms: reconcile, patch things up, resolve conflict, forgive, settle differences, restore friendship, come to terms, repair relationship, make peace, end argument, smooth things over, rebuild trust
Antonyms: break up, fall out, argue, remain angry, hold a grudge, cut ties, stay upset, refuse to forgive, escalate conflict, continue fighting, stay divided, end friendship
(Verb) To invent something that is not true.
Make up can also mean creating a story, excuse, or explanation that is not real. It often suggests imagination or dishonesty, depending on the situation.

He made up an excuse about traffic because he overslept.

She loves to make up stories for her younger siblings.

Don’t make up facts—just tell the truth.

Synonyms: invent, fabricate, create, imagine, concoct, dream up, devise, falsify, make up a story, manufacture details, spin a tale, create fiction
Antonyms: tell the truth, reveal facts, be honest, admit reality, clarify, confirm, verify, report accurately, state facts, disclose truth, be truthful, correct misinformation
(Verb) To compensate for something lost or missed.
Make up can mean compensating for a loss, mistake, or missed opportunity. It suggests doing something extra to balance out what was lacking.

She worked extra hours to make up for the time she missed.

He tried to make up his mistake by helping the team finish the project.

I’ll take you out for dinner to make up for being late.

Synonyms: compensate, repay, correct, balance out, make amends, offset, fix, recover loss, redeem, restore balance, atone, rectify
Antonyms: worsen, ignore mistake, neglect responsibility, fail to correct, refuse to fix, leave unresolved, create imbalance, abandon effort, deny fault, avoid making amends, disregard loss, repeat mistake
(Verb) To form or constitute a whole.
In another common usage, make up means to form part of something or to create a complete whole when combined. It is often used when talking about percentages, groups, or composition.

Women make up more than half of the company’s workforce.

Several small villages make up the entire region.

These ingredients make up the final recipe.

Synonyms: constitute, form, compose, represent, account for, comprise, build, create whole, assemble, combine to form, total, add up to
Antonyms: separate, divide, dismantle, break apart, subtract, exclude, remove from whole, reduce composition, disassemble, isolate, take away, fragment

Conversation Using the Phrasal Verb Make up

After a disagreement between friends, Thomas and Mia are talking things through. This dialogue focuses on make up, which means to invent a story, to form something, or to become friends again after an argument.

Thomas: I’m really sorry about what I said earlier; I hope we can make up and move past this unnecessary argument we had.

Mia: I agree; life is too short to stay angry, so let’s make up and focus on having a great evening together instead of fighting.

Thomas: I read that some people like to make up elaborate excuses when they are late for work rather than just telling the simple truth.

Mia: I noticed that children often make up imaginary friends to play with when they are feeling lonely or bored in the house.

Thomas: If you make up the missed hours of work on Saturday, you’ll still be able to receive your full salary at the end of the month.

Mia: I saw that women often use cosmetics to make up their faces for special occasions like weddings or important business meetings.

Thomas: It’s impressive how the different departments make up the entire organization, with each one playing a vital and unique role in its success.

Mia: I agree; I’m going to make up a special gift basket for my mother's birthday to show her how much I appreciate everything she does.

Thomas: I’m glad we could make up so quickly; I value our friendship far too much to let a small misunderstanding come between us for long.

Mia: Me too; once we make up our minds to stay positive, we can overcome any challenges that our group project faces in the future.

Phrases Containing the Phrasal Verb Make Up

The phrases below show how the phrasal verb make up is used to talk about inventing, reconciling, completing, or forming something.

Make up a story

To invent a narrative.

He made up a story to explain why he arrived late to the meeting.

Make up an excuse

To invent a reason.

Instead of telling the truth, she made up an excuse to avoid attending the event.

Make up with someone

To reconcile after a disagreement.

After arguing for days, they finally made up and apologized sincerely.

Make up your mind

To decide something.

You need to make up your mind before the deadline arrives.

Make up for lost time

To compensate for delays.

They worked overtime to make up for lost time after the technical issue.

Make up the difference

To compensate for a shortfall.

He paid extra money to make up the difference in the bill.

Make up a team

To form a group.

Five talented players make up the core of the championship team.

Make up a list

To create a list.

Please make up a list of all the items we need before shopping.

Make up a plan

To create a strategy.

They made up a plan to improve communication within the organization.

Make up the rules

To invent regulations.

He can’t just make up the rules whenever it suits him.

Make up the bed

To prepare bedding.

She made up the bed before guests arrived for the weekend.

Make up your face

To apply cosmetics.

She took her time to make up her face before the formal event.

Make up a decision

To form a choice.

It took him hours to make up a decision about which offer to accept.

Make up a song

To compose spontaneously.

The children made up a song while playing in the garden.

Make up for mistakes

To compensate for errors.

He tried to make up for mistakes by working harder on the next project.

Make up a character

To invent a fictional person.

The author made up a character who represented courage and resilience.

Make up a conversation

To invent dialogue.

She made up a conversation to practice her speaking skills.

Make up the total

To complete an amount.

Small donations helped make up the total required for the fundraiser.

Make up an agreement

To create a settlement.

After long negotiations, both parties made up an agreement that satisfied everyone.

Make up your goals

To define objectives.

Before starting the year, she made up her goals and planned how to achieve them.

Words Rhyme with make up

shake up

take up

fake up

wake up

cake up

lake up

bake up

stake up

snake up

quake up

cup

pup

sup

yup

hiccup

pickup

breakup

wakeup

checkup

stickup

mockup

lockup

linkup

setup

letup

getup

windup

cleanup

chin-up

POS: Verb Phrase