Collocations with make are everywhere: we make decisions , make coffee , even make a scene . Mastering them is the shortcut to sounding natural and clear. Below, you’ll find everything you need—collocations with make, meanings, examples, usage tips—arranged from the simple to the advanced.
What’s a Collocation? A collocation is just a pair (or small set) of words that native speakers naturally stick together. We say make a mistake (never do a mistake) because English ears expect that partnership. Want the full theory? Peek at my larger guide on Collocation: Definition, Types & Examples
Collocations with Make — 150+ Examples to Boost Your English Everyday Basics Collocations with make Collocation Meaning in Plain English Example Sentence make breakfast prepare the first meal of the day “I make breakfast before the kids wake up.” make lunch prepare midday food “Let’s make lunch together.” make dinner cook the evening meal “She’s making dinner tonight.” make the bed straighten sheets & pillows “I never leave without making the bed.” make a cup of coffee brew coffee “Need energy? Make a cup of coffee.” make a sandwich assemble a sandwich “He quickly made a sandwich for the hike.” make a salad toss a salad “I’ll make a salad while the pasta boils.” make a shopping list write down things to buy “First, make a shopping list so you don’t forget milk.” make time find/schedule time “I always make time for exercise.” make room clear space “We can make room for one more chair.” make a wish silently hope for something “Blow out the candles and make a wish!” make a mess create disorder “The puppy made a mess on the floor.” make noise be loud “Try not to make noise after midnight.” make a joke tell a joke “He made a joke to break the ice.” make a phone call telephone someone “I need to make a phone call first.” make a visit go to see someone “Let’s make a visit to Grandma this weekend.” make a fire build a campfire “We made a fire to keep warm.” make a toast raise glasses in tribute “She made a toast to the happy couple.” make a turn change direction while driving “Make a left turn at the light.” make an entrance arrive dramatically “The singer made quite an entrance on stage.”
Home & Routine Collocations with make Collocation Meaning Example make repairs fix broken items “He made repairs to the faucet himself.” make finishing touches add final improvements “Add plants to make finishing touches to the décor.” make preparations get ready in advance “We’re making preparations for Eid.” make arrangements organize details “I’ll make arrangements for your airport pickup.” make a payment pay money owed “Rent is due—have you made the payment?” make a deposit put money into an account “She made a deposit at the ATM.” make a withdrawal take money out “I need to make a withdrawal for groceries.” make a purchase buy something “You can make a purchase online in minutes.” make a budget plan spending “Couples should make a budget together.” make a checklist list tasks to tick off “Make a checklist before the trip.” make a reservation book in advance “Let’s make a reservation for Friday night.” make an appointment schedule a meeting “I made an appointment with the dentist.” make an inventory list all items on hand “Shops make an inventory every quarter.” make deliveries drop items off “Our driver makes deliveries across town.” make renovations upgrade property “They made renovations to the kitchen.”
Personal Growth & Feelings Collocations with make Collocation Meaning Example make progress move forward “You’re making great progress in English.” make an effort try hard “Make an effort to speak daily.” make improvements get better “We’ve made improvements to the app.” make changes alter something “It’s time to make changes to my diet.” make peace stop conflict “The neighbors finally made peace.” make amends repair a wrongdoing “He made amends by apologizing.” make a commitment promise seriously “We made a commitment to recycle.” make a promise vow to do something “Never make a promise you can’t keep.” make friends form friendships “It’s easy to make friends at camp.” make enemies create foes “He made enemies by lying.” make someone happy cause happiness “A call from you would make Mom happy.” make someone sad cause sadness “Losing the match made the team sad.” make someone angry provoke anger “Late trains make commuters angry.” make up your mind decide “Make up your mind before Friday.” make sense be logical “Her plan really makes sense.”
Social & Communication Collocations with make Collocation Meaning Example make a speech deliver a speech “He made a speech at graduation.” make a statement say something officially “The company made a statement today.” make a suggestion offer an idea “Can I make a suggestion?” make a complaint express unhappiness “She made a complaint about the noise.” make an excuse give a reason (often weak) “Don’t make excuses—just fix it.” make an apology apologize “He made a public apology.” make a request ask formally “You must make a request in writing.” make small talk chat politely “We made small talk about the weather.” make conversation keep dialogue going “He struggled to make conversation.” make an offer propose terms “They made an offer on the house.” make inquiries ask questions “Reporters made inquiries about the incident.” make eye contact look directly “Try to make eye contact when you speak.” make introductions introduce people “Let me make the introductions.” make headlines become newsworthy “The discovery made headlines worldwide.” make fun of tease or mock “Kids made fun of his accent.”
Decisions & Planning Collocations with make Collocation Meaning Example make a decision decide “It’s hard to make a decision quickly.” make a choice select “You must make a choice today.” make plans arrange future activities “Let’s make plans for summer.” make a deal agree on terms “We made a deal and shook hands.” make a proposal suggest formally “She made a proposal at the meeting.” make a forecast predict future “Analysts made a forecast for growth.” make a prediction guess future outcome “Can you make a prediction about AI?” make a schedule plan a timetable “Teachers make a schedule every semester.” make a roadmap outline steps “The team made a roadmap for launch.” make contingency plans plan backups “Always make contingency plans.” make a priority list rank tasks “I made a priority list for the week.” make an agenda set meeting topics “Please make an agenda beforehand.” make a plan B create a backup plan “We made a plan B in case it rains.” make a resolution vow to change “I made a resolution to study daily.” make a judgment form an opinion “Try not to make a judgment too fast.”
Work & Business Collocation Meaning Example make a profit earn more than spent “The shop finally made a profit.” make a loss lose money “We made a loss last quarter.” make money earn cash “Freelancers can make money online.” make sales sell products “The reps made 200 sales today.” make an investment put money into assets “She made an investment in stocks.” make overtime earn extra hours/pay “He made overtime last week.” make a bid offer a price “They made a bid at auction.” make a presentation present formally “I’ll make a presentation at 10 a.m.” make contact reach out “We made contact with the supplier.” make a contract draft a legal deal “Lawyers made the contract airtight.” make a partnership form partnership “Two firms made a partnership.” make a merger merge companies “They made a merger official.” make a policy establish rules “HR made a policy on remote work.” make a strategic move take key action “Buying patents was a strategic move.” make an acquisition buy another firm “The tech giant made an acquisition.” make a deadline meet the due date “We worked late to make the deadline.” make a quota reach sales target “She made her quota early.” make a sale close one deal “Every call aims to make a sale.” make cold calls phone prospects uninvited “New reps make cold calls daily.” make a projection forecast numbers “Finance made a projection for Q4.”
Creativity & Production Collocations with make Collocation Meaning Example make art create artwork “Street artists make art on walls.” make a drawing draw a picture “The child made a drawing of a cat.” make music compose/play music “They make music in their basement studio.” make a film produce a movie “We made a short film in college.” make a video record a video “She made a video tutorial.” make a sculpture shape artwork in 3‑D “He made a sculpture from clay.” make crafts create handmade items “Kids made crafts for Mother’s Day.” make a DIY project build something yourself “I love making DIY projects on weekends.” make code write software “Developers make code that runs fast.” make content produce online material “Brands make content for TikTok daily.”
Measurement & Analysis Collocations with make Collocation Meaning Example make a measurement measure “Engineers make precise measurements.” make a calculation compute “Make a calculation before investing.” make an estimate approximate “We made an estimate of the cost.” make a comparison compare items “Let’s make a comparison of the two phones.” make an assessment evaluate “Experts made an assessment of damage.” make a tally count up “Volunteers made a tally of votes.” make a count count items “Please make a count of boxes.” make a note record briefly “Make a note of that password.” make a summary sum up points “She made a summary of the meeting.” make a draft write first version “Authors make a draft before editing.”
Emotions & Reactions Collocations with make Collocation Meaning Example make an impression leave a strong impact “Dress well to make an impression.” make a scene act dramatically in public “He made a scene at the restaurant.” make waves cause a stir “Her article made waves online.” make a fuss complain/exaggerate “Don’t make a fuss over nothing.” make someone’s day give great joy “Your call made my day!” make someone laugh cause laughter “He always makes me laugh.” make someone cry cause tears “The ending made viewers cry.” make eyes at flirt visually “They were making eyes at each other.” make one’s blood boil cause anger “Fraud stories make my blood boil.” make one’s skin crawl cause disgust “Spiders make my skin crawl.”
Idioms & Fixed Expressions with make Collocation Meaning Example make do (with) manage with less “We’ll have to make do with leftovers.” make or break determine success/failure “Pricing can make or break a product.” make ends meet cover expenses “It’s tough to make ends meet.” make something of oneself succeed “He moved abroad to make something of himself.” make it big achieve major success “She made it big in Hollywood.” make one’s mark leave a lasting impact “He made his mark on science.” make headway progress “Talks are making headway.” make hay (while the sun shines) act while conditions are good “Freelancers make hay during peak season.” make light of treat as unimportant “Don’t make light of her effort.” make a mountain out of a molehill exaggerate “You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.” make a long story short skip details “To make a long story short, we won.” make yourself at home feel comfortable “Come in and make yourself at home.” make someone’s mouth water cause hunger “The smell made my mouth water.” make your blood run cold scare badly “That scream made my blood run cold.” make believe pretend “Kids love to make believe they’re pirates.” make good on fulfill (a promise) “He made good on his pledge.” make a face pull an expression “She made a face at the sour taste.” make the most of use fully “Make the most of your vacation days.” make the best of accept & cope “We made the best of the delay.” make time fly make time feel quick “Good company makes time fly.” make a run for it dash away “They made a run for it when the rain started.” make off with steal and escape “Someone made off with my bike.” make up for compensate “Extra kindness makes up for mistakes.” make way clear a path “Make way for the ambulance!” make no bones about be frank “She made no bones about her dislike.”
Quick List: 150+ Collocations with “Make” make a decision make a difference make a mistake make money make an effort make a noise make a mess make a promise make progress make friends make a call make a choice make a deal make a plan make a complaint make a speech make time make trouble make an attempt make a suggestion make arrangements make love make a wish make a point make a move make a statement make sense make a comment make a payment make a joke make an excuse make a request make a connection make peace make war make a list make changes make sure make a habit make a profit make an impact make contact make a reservation make a booking make a meal make a sandwich make breakfast make lunch make dinner make coffee make tea make a face make a scene make a fortune make a mistake make amends make a decision make a discovery make a fool of yourself make a phone call make a comparison make an offer make a pass at make ends meet make a living make a bet make fun of make progress on make an investment make a killing make a fortune make a run for it make a pass make room make a mark make a fuss make way make your bed make a comeback make a vow make a threat make a promise to make a difference to make a judgment make peace with make a confession make a donation make a complaint about make your point make a scene at make up your mind make it happen make it work make the bed make a decision about make use of make friends with make plans for make space make a note of make yourself at home make yourself clear make a quick buck make a clean break make a getaway make light of make heavy weather of make an exception make allowances for make a mistake in make a fool out of make a good impression make a bad impression make a resolution make sense of make trouble for make a difference in make a fool of make yourself heard make up a story make good on make peace with someone make a splash make up lost time make a bid make progress in make the effort to make a leap make a sale make a deadline make an error make a pass at someone make conversation make excuses for make money from make a trip make a discovery about make assumptions make a diagnosis make eye contact make arrangements for make a proposal make a decision on make your choice make amends with make a commitment make progress with make noise about make plans to make a scene in public make time for make a start make way for make a call to make a point of make waves make things worse make things better make a claim make a gesture make it up to someone make a fool out of someone make your move make your mind up make your day make a noise in class make friends easily make a name for yourself make your way home make a difference in the world make peace not war
Tips for Getting “Make” Collocations Right Spot the “make vs. do” traps. We make an effort but we do homework .Think in chunks, not single words. Memorize “make a decision” as one item.Read and listen widely. Collocations settle naturally when you see them in context.Practice out loud. Swap make phrases into your own life stories.Use spaced repetition flashcards. Review today, tomorrow, next week—retention soars.
Quick Practice I finally ________ a decision about my major. The aroma of fresh bread ________ my mouth water. We need to ________ contingency plans just in case. (Answers: made, made, make)
Final Thoughts Master these collocations with make , and you’ll make an impression every time you speak. Keep the list handy, revisit the examples, and you’ll soon notice that you naturally make progress —and sound a lot more like a native speaker.
