20 Phrasal Verbs with MAKE | MAKE片語動詞完整指南

The verb make produces more phrasal verb combinations than nearly any other common verb in English. That’s good news for Taiwan learners who want to multiply their vocabulary fast — one base verb, twenty functional expressions. The tricky part is that the same particle can carry completely different meanings depending on context. The word “up” alone gives MAKE at least three separate meanings, and adding “for” or “with” opens still more territory.

If you’ve already worked through phrasal verbs with GET, this guide follows the same pattern: real definitions, real example sentences, and Chinese translations that explain the meaning rather than just translating the words. All 20 phrasal verbs appear in the quick reference table at the end — useful for revision before a meeting or exam.

MAKE phrasal verbs appear constantly in professional English conversations across every industry.

MAKE片語動詞基礎 [What Makes MAKE Phrasal Verbs Different]

A phrasal verb pairs a base verb with one or more particles to produce a meaning that differs from the base verb. Make on its own means to create or produce. Add up and it can mean inventing a lie, reconciling after a fight, or applying foundation before work. Add do and it means managing with whatever is available. Same verb, completely different territory each time.

These aren’t slang or informal shortcuts — they’re standard English used in business emails, academic writing, and everyday speech. The Cambridge Dictionary lists more than 60 combinations with make, but the 20 in this guide cover roughly 90% of what you’ll encounter in real contexts. For the full rules on which ones allow the object to appear in the middle (separable) versus those that require the particle immediately after the verb (inseparable), see the guide on separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.

When colleagues ‘make up’ after a disagreement, the working relationship is restored — a key workplace phrase.

三個意思的make up [Make Up: Three Different Meanings]

Make up earns a dedicated section because it performs three completely separate jobs in English. Using the wrong one in a sentence doesn’t just cause confusion — it can produce accidental comedy.

1. make up = invent or fabricate [捏造、編造]
When someone constructs a false story, excuse, or explanation from nothing, they make it up.

She made up a reason to leave the meeting early. (她編了個藉口提早離開會議。)
Don’t believe him — he’s making the whole story up. (別信他——整件事都是他編的。)

2. make up = reconcile after an argument [和好、重修舊好]
After a disagreement, when two people resolve the conflict and restore goodwill, they make up. You can also say make up with someone to specify who the reconciliation is with.

They argued on Monday but made up by Wednesday. (他們星期一吵架，星期三就和好了。)
She finally made up with her colleague after the project conflict. (專案衝突後，她終於和同事和好了。)

3. make up = apply cosmetics [化妝]
When someone applies foundation, lipstick, or other cosmetics, they make up (or make themselves up). The noun form, makeup, is more common in everyday use.

She took fifteen minutes to make up before the client presentation. (客戶簡報前，她花了十五分鐘化妝。)

Context determines which meaning of ‘make up’ applies — fabrication, reconciliation, or cosmetics.

職場必備：補償與書寫 [Make Up For & Make Out — Essential at Work]

4. make up for = compensate [彌補、補償]
When something negative is offset by something positive — or when you work to repair a shortfall — you make up for it. The object always follows “for.”

He worked weekends to make up for missing the project deadline. (他週末加班，彌補錯過專案截止日期的損失。)
The end-of-year bonus made up for the lack of a raise. (年終獎金彌補了沒有加薪的遺憾。)

5. make out = barely understand, see, or hear [勉強看懂／聽清楚]
When something is nearly but not quite legible, audible, or comprehensible, you make it out. This is the meaning that surprises people most, because it sounds like a question about ability rather than clarity.

The handwriting was so small I couldn’t make it out. (字跡太小，我看不清楚。)
Can you make out what the sign says from here? (你能從這裡看清楚招牌上寫什麼嗎？)

6. make out = write or fill out a document [填寫、開立文件]
In administrative and financial contexts, make out means to write a check, receipt, invoice, or other formal document. “To” introduces the recipient.

Please make the check out to ABC Corporation. (請把支票開給ABC公司。)
Who should I make the invoice out to? (我應該把發票開給誰？)

7. make do (with) = manage with limited resources [將就、湊合]
One of the few phrasal verbs using do as a particle, this means to work with whatever is available even if it’s not ideal. It often appears with “with” (to say what you’re using) or “without” (to say what you’re missing).

The budget was cut, so we made do with fewer staff. (預算被削減，我們只好用更少的人手將就。)
There was no projector, so we made do with a printed handout. (沒有投影機，我們只好用印出來的講義將就。)

Explaining how you plan to ‘make up for’ a missed deadline is a phrase every professional needs.

移動與逃離 [Movement and Escape: Make For, Make Off, Make Off With]

8. make for = move toward a place [向…前進]
When someone deliberately moves toward a destination — often with a sense of urgency or clear intent — they make for it.

As soon as the alarm sounded, everyone made for the exit. (警報一響，大家都朝出口走去。)
We made for the nearest café as soon as the rain started. (雨一開始下，我們就朝最近的咖啡廳走去。)

9. make for = contribute to a result [有助於、造就]
The same particle also appears when a condition produces or contributes to an outcome. Here the object is a result rather than a destination.

Clear communication makes for better teamwork. (清楚的溝通有助於更好的團隊合作。)
Poor planning made for a chaotic product launch. (糟糕的計畫造就了混亂的產品上線日。)

10. make off = leave quickly without permission [逃跑、溜走]
When someone exits a situation rapidly — usually to avoid consequences — they make off. The connotation is almost always negative: a thief, someone skipping out on a bill, or an animal escaping a fence.

The suspect made off before the police arrived. (嫌疑人在警察到達前就溜走了。)
He made off without paying the restaurant bill. (他沒付餐廳帳單就溜走了。)

11. make off with = steal and escape with something [偷走、帶走]
Add “with” plus an object and the phrase describes taking something that doesn’t belong to you.

Someone made off with the office projector over the weekend. (有人在週末把辦公室的投影機偷走了。)
The kids made off with half the snacks before anyone noticed. (孩子們在大家注意到之前就把一半零食拿走了。)

轉變與改造 [Transformation: Make Over, Make Into, Make Over To]

Reconciling with a colleague — ‘making up with’ someone — is a natural and valued professional skill.

12. make over = completely transform appearance or function [改造、翻新]
A makeover changes something dramatically — a room, a brand, a website, or a person’s look. As a verb, make over describes the act of transformation.

They made the old factory over into a co-working space. (他們把舊工廠改造成共同工作空間。)
The agency made over the entire brand identity for the relaunch. (代理商為了重新上市，對整個品牌形象進行了大改造。)

13. make into = transform one thing into something fundamentally different [把…變成]
Di mana make over implies a visual or structural overhaul, make into focuses on changing the basic category or purpose of something.

They made the spare room into a home recording studio. (他們把備用房間改成了家庭錄音室。)
She made her blog into a full-time business within two years. (她在兩年內把她的部落格變成了全職事業。)

14. make over to = transfer ownership [移交、轉讓]
In legal and financial contexts, make over to means to formally transfer property, rights, or assets.

He made the family business over to his daughter before retiring. (他退休前把家族企業移交給了女兒。)

理解與解釋 [Understanding and Interpretation: Make Of, Make Out To Be, Make Up To]

15. make of = understand or form an opinion about [理解、看待]
Almost always a question: “What do you make of this?” It asks for someone’s interpretation or judgment of a situation, event, or person.

What do you make of the new manager’s approach? (你怎麼看待新經理的做法？)
I don’t know what to make of his sudden resignation. (我不知道該如何理解他突然辭職的事。)

16. make out to be = portray as, describe as [把…描述為]
When someone presents a situation or person as being a certain way — often inaccurately or with exaggeration — they make it out to be something. It frequently implies distortion of reality.

The problem isn’t as serious as they’re making it out to be. (這個問題沒有他們描述的那麼嚴重。)
He made himself out to be an expert, but had no credentials. (他把自己描述成專家，但其實沒有任何資歷。)

17. make up to = try to gain favour with [討好、巴結]
When someone is unusually attentive or nice to a person — often to gain something or repair a broken relationship — they are making up to them. The phrase carries a slightly manipulative tone.

He’s been making up to the director ever since the budget meeting. (自從預算會議後，他一直在討好主任。)

‘Make out a document’ and ‘make out’ (barely understand) are two distinct meanings — both vital in professional English.

18. make away with = steal or formally dispose of [盜走；除掉（正式用語）]
Slightly more formal than make off with, this phrase covers both theft and — in literary or dramatic English — the meaning of eliminating someone.

Thieves made away with three laptops during the break-in. (竊賊在入室盜竊期間偷走了三台筆電。)

19. make towards = move in the direction of [朝…方向移動（英式英語）]
A slightly more formal variant of make for, used primarily in British English to describe deliberate movement toward a destination.

When the alarm sounded, the team made towards the assembly point. (警報響起時，團隊朝集合點移動。)

20. make up one’s mind = decide [下決定、拿定主意]
Technically a compound phrase rather than a pure two-word phrasal verb, but it uses make up in the “resolve or complete” sense and appears frequently enough in professional and daily English to belong in this guide.

I haven’t made up my mind about the job offer yet. (我還沒有對這份工作邀約下定決心。)
You need to make up your mind before Friday’s deadline. (你需要在週五的截止日期前做出決定。)

MAKE片語動詞快速參考表 [Quick Reference Table — All 20 Phrasal Verbs]

Save this table for revision before meetings, presentations, or language exams.

練習題 [Practice: Fill in the Blank]

Practising phrasal verbs in realistic conversation contexts helps move them from recognition to active use.

Complete each sentence with the correct MAKE phrasal verb. Answers follow.

1. We ran out of chairs, so we ________ with plastic boxes. (make do)
2. The handwriting was smudged — I couldn’t ________ the name. (make out)
3. They had a big argument on Friday but ________ over the weekend. (made up)
4. The sales team put in extra hours to ________ the slow first quarter. (make up for)
5. Could you ________ the receipt ________ our company name? (make / out)
6. What do you ________ the new strategy? (make of)
7. A shorter meeting always ________ better focus. (makes for)
8. She ________ the warehouse ________ a photography studio. (made / into)

Answers: 1. made do  |  2. make out  |  3. made up  |  4. make up for  |  5. make / out  |  6. make of  |  7. makes for  |  8. made / into

MAKE片語動詞影片教學 [Video: 16 MAKE Phrasal Verbs Explained]

This engVid video covers 16 MAKE phrasal verbs with classroom examples. Watch it after reading this guide — the spoken contexts reinforce the written definitions and help move the phrases into active speaking memory.

Reviewing MAKE phrasal verbs with a study partner — speaking them aloud — doubles retention speed.

下一步：延伸學習 [What to Study Next]

MAKE and GET sit at the centre of English phrasal verb vocabulary. If you haven’t already studied Phrasal Verbs with GET, that’s the most logical complement to this guide — many workplace conversations cycle between what you get done and what you make up for. For learners who want a broader framework, the Phrasal Verbs by Meaning Group guide organises 80+ phrasal verbs by function — communication, movement, transformation — so you can see how MAKE phrasal verbs relate to the whole system. Running both approaches side by side tends to accelerate recall far faster than either one alone.

Sumber

1. Cambridge Dictionary — Phrasal Verbs — Definition and grammar rules for phrasal verb structure in British and American English.
2. Oxford Learner’s Dictionary — Make — Full listing of MAKE phrasal verb definitions with example sentences.
3. UsingEnglish.com — MAKE Phrasal Verbs Reference — Extended reference covering 17 MAKE phrasal verbs with detailed explanations.