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.
When rabble-rousing Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie wanted to make good on Republican campaign messaging.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
It's a bold claim, and one the industry is under mounting pressure to make good on.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
That means they have a degree of financial responsibility to make good on the commitments made to the NFL when Los Angeles was awarded the game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
"If you want guys to take responsibility on the field, they've got to feel like they can be grown adults off it and make good, strong decisions off it," said Root on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
All three were worried that Bear Stearns might fail and be unable to make good on its gambling debts.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
