Meaning & use
make up phrasal
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Meanings
phrasetransitive
to invent a story, excuse, or explanation that is not true.
Grammar: Takes an object: make up a story. The object can come after up or between make and up: make a story up.
Patterns
- make up something
- make something up
- make up an excuse
He made up an excuse about being sick.
She made the whole story up to get attention.
phraseintransitive
to become friendly again after an argument.
Grammar: No object; often followed by with: make up with someone.
Patterns
- make up with someone
- make up after an argument
They argued but made up the next day.
She wants to make up with her sister.
phrasetransitive
to form or constitute something as a whole.
Grammar: Often used in the passive: be made up of something.
Patterns
- make up something
- be made up of something
Women make up half of the workforce.
The team is made up of players from five countries.
phrasetransitive or intransitive
to put on cosmetics such as powder, lipstick, or eye shadow.
Grammar: Can be used with or without an object: She made up her face. / She made up quickly.
Patterns
- make up your face
- make yourself up
She made up her face before the party.
He watched her make up in the mirror.
phrasetransitive
to compensate for something lost, missing, or wasted.
Grammar: Often followed by for: make up for lost time.
Patterns
- make up for something
- make up for lost time
We need to make up for the time we lost.
He bought her flowers to make up for forgetting her birthday.
Common combinations
- make up an excuse
- He made up an excuse for being late.
- make up with someone
- She made up with her friend after the fight.
- be made up of
- The committee is made up of ten members.
- make up for lost time
- After the delay, they worked fast to make up for lost time.
Synonyms and how they differ
- invent
- This is more formal and can mean to create something real; make up often suggests something false.
- reconcile
- This is formal and means to become friendly again; make up is the everyday phrase.
Opposites
Commonly confused: make up phrasal or makeup?
make up phrasal vs makeup
Makeup (one word) is a noun meaning cosmetics or the way something is composed. Make up (two words) is the phrasal verb.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'make up' correctly to mean 'invent a story'?
Choose one answer.
Only 'made up an excuse' means invented a story. The others mean reconciled, constituted, or applied cosmetics.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “make up phrasal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.