AAAmerican Accent US

make up for

Inseparable

The verb and particle never split. The object always follows the whole phrase.

How to say it

Main stress lands on the first particle: make UP for. The trailing “for” reduces almost to nothing — expect a schwa, not a full vowel.

Link across the gap. The final /k/ of “make” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “make up” is said “ma-kup”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.

What it means

  1. To compensate for something you did wrong or failed to do.

    • “He made up for his sluggishness with a strong cup of coffee.”
    • “Nothing can make up for missing her graduation.”

    Similar: compensate for, atone for

The particle logic

up

Something is finished, raised, improved, or brought together.

for

A target, a purpose, or a substitution.

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More MAKE phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

make up

To invent a story or an excuse.

make out

To manage to see, hear or understand something with difficulty.

make it

To succeed, arrive, or survive.

make off with

To steal something and escape with it.

make do

To manage with whatever is available, even if it is not ideal.

make over

To transform someone's appearance or a space.

make up for — meaning, examples & how to say it