make good
Idioms-
Carry out successfully, make sure of, as in He made good his escape . This usage was first recorded in 1606.
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Fulfill, as in She made good her promise . This usage was first recorded in Miles Coverdale's 1535 translation of the Bible (II Chronicles 6:16): “Make good unto my father, David ... that which thou hast promised him.”
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Compensate for, make up for, as in They made good the loss . This usage first appeared in William Langland's Piers Ploughman (1377).
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Succeed, as in He made good as a writer . [c. 1900]
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.
Friedman wrote Thursday that the tightened restrictions, "are not security measures or efforts to make good on prior commitments but rather transparent attempts to negate the impact of this Court's Order."
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Fishermen and chefs report that Asian carp are actually delicious, though they are so bony they don’t make good filets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
“They have more resources to make good choices, hopefully, than a lot of folks do who get themselves tangled up in really bad subprime auto financing,” Van Alst said.
From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026
"James is a clever guy but he didn't always make good decisions," notes Morgan.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
If ever he went back to Westeros to claim his birthright, he would have all the gold of easterly Rock to make good on his promises.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
