in the making

Idioms  

1. In the process of developing or growing, being made, as in The editor believed this election signified history in the making. This term is frequently used to describe the course of events, as in the example. [Mid-1600s]

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Example Sentences

The R&B pop singer had a tremendous year following her act of defiance: She sang the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium, resulting in the making of a short-documentary, “La Tierra del Valor.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

Douglas is a major operator in the making, but the extra muscle the ball-carrying muscle that number eight Magnus Bradbury provides is something that the coach might consider.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

His ascendance to power was long in the making, said Hamdi Malik, associate fellow at the Washington Institute think tank.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

AT&T, meanwhile, continues to reap the rewards of a simplification strategy years in the making.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 7, 2026

By the First World War, the community was a ghetto in the making.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

Related Words

• bare
• incomplete
• unadorned
• undeveloped
• unfulfilled