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Synonyms

make the grade

Idioms  

  1. Satisfy the requirements, qualify; also, succeed. For example, Angela hoped her work in the new school would make the grade, or Barbara certainly has made the grade as a trial lawyer. This expression uses grade in the sense of “accepted standard.” [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.

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Though the newsletters that make the grade rarely are at the top of the annual performance sweepstakes, they hardly ever are at the bottom either.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

Coltin Stidham wanted to be a pilot, but his eyesight didn’t make the grade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

But the band’s early attempts to make the grade had fallen flat on its face.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2025

For sports desperate to make the grade, the journey can be daunting, frustrating, and heartbreaking.

From BBC ● May 6, 2024

Yes, the County takes hold usually—sometimes the State, if the County can't make the grade.

From The Monk of Hambleton by Armstrong Livingston

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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.

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