Make up for
2 meanings · select one to explore
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Meaning 1 of 3
Definition
To compensate for something bad or disappointing
Example sentence
I bought her dinner to make up for being late.
Real video usage
Three clips showing this meaning in natural speech.
Common collocations
Natural word pairings to memorize.
make up for a mistake
make up for lost time
make up for the delay
make up for bad weather
make up for disappointing results
Separable usage
Can the object split the verb? Compare correct vs incorrect.
He made up for the mistake by working late. ✅ (Correct)
He made the mistake up for by working late. ❌ (Incorrect)