make up phrasal verb ( see also ↑ make )
1 . FORM/BE make up something [not in progressive] to combine together to form something SYN constitute :
Women make up only a small proportion of the prison population.
be made up of something
The committee is made up of representatives from every state.
2 . PRETEND SOMETHING IS TRUE make something ↔ up to pretend that something is true in order to deceive someone:
I think they’re making the whole thing up.
⇨ ↑ made-up (1)
3 . INVENT make something ↔ up to produce a new story, song, game etc by thinking:
Nick made up a song about them.
When you’re the boss you can make up your own rules.
I’ve given talks so many times that now I just make them up as I go along (=think of things to say as I am speaking) .
4 . PREPARE make something ↔ up to prepare something by mixing things or putting things together:
I could make up a bed for you on the sofa.
Can you make up a bottle of milk for the baby?
5 . SB’S FACE make somebody ↔ up to put ↑ make-up (=special coloured substances) on someone’s face in order to make them look better or different:
They made him up as an old man for the last act of the play.
One lucky winner will have the chance to be made up and photographed.
► Do not use the verb 'make up' when you are talking about putting make-up on your own face. Say that you put on (your) make-up. ⇨ ↑ made-up (2)
6 . NUMBER/AMOUNT make something ↔ up especially British English to add to an amount in order to bring it up to the level that is needed:
I saved as much as I could, and my parents made up the rest.
The company will be forced to pay $6 million to make up the difference.
7 . TIME/WORK make something ↔ up to work at times when you do not usually work, because you have not done as much work as you should:
I’m trying to make up the time I lost while I was sick.
Is it OK if I make the work up next week?
8 . FRIENDS ( also make it up ) informal to become friendly with someone again after you have had an argument
make up with
Have you made up with Patty yet?
Oh come on! Why don’t you just kiss and make up?
9 . FROM CLOTH make something ↔ up to produce something from cloth by cutting and sewing:
The dress had been made up to her exact requirements.
make something ↔ up into
I plan on making that material up into a dress.
⇨ make up your mind at ↑ mind 1 (3)