make way
Idioms-
Allow room for passage, move aside, as in Please make way for the wheelchair . This expression was first recorded about 1200.
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Also, make way for . Leave room for a successor or substitute, as in It's time he retired and made way for some younger professor . [Mid-1700s]
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Progress, advance, as in Is this enterprise making way? [Late 1500s] For a synonym, see make headway .
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.
To make way for the next generation without losing key clients, major firms like Latham & Watkins and Debevoise are hiring specialized consultants to coax veterans into second careers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
GM resurrected its beloved Chevrolet Bolt earlier this year but decided to curtail production to one shift instead of two, and will phase the vehicle out in 2027 to make way for gas-powered vehicles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Liber said at least 25 villages will be demolished to make way for it.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
After oohing and aahing over “The Odyssey,” it’s time for the hot summer splash to make way for an intriguing fall lineup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
A door opens and they are told to make way.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
