make for
Britishverb
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to head towards, esp in haste
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to prepare to attack
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to help to bring about
your cooperation will make for the success of our project
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Have or cause to have a particular effect; also, help promote or further. For example, That letter of yours will make for hard feelings in the family , or This system makes for better communication . [Early 1500s]
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Go toward, as in They turned around and made for home . This usage originated in the late 1500s, but was not widely used until the 1800s. Also see made for .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But a massive IPO alone does not make for a sustainable investment.
From Slate • May 15, 2026
A few plane orders might make for a great photo op, but the real conversation is just getting started.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
My sense is that spouses often have shared interests and complementary skills, which can make for a great business partnership.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
But if they feed the AI program the nonprofit’s footage and ask it to manipulate it, that could make for an infringement claim.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026
“I thought a tree covered in fire would make for a proper complement to ones made from ice.”
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
