MAKING THE GRADE Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

making the grade

phrase

present participle of make the grade

as in making it

to reach a desired level of accomplishment There were many applicants for the position, but only a few made the grade for an interview.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for making the grade

Phrase

Three years after making it, while driving drunk in East Hampton, Pollock crashed his car, killing himself and one of the passengers, Edith Metzger.

— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
That’s lowered expectations to just a handful, or none, of these startups making it to public markets, the sources said.

— Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of making it

Phrase

In the seventh, reliever Steven Matz issued a leadoff walk to Brewers rookie Cooper Pratt after getting ahead 1-2 in the count.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
By the end of the fifth, the Dodgers had gone eight consecutive innings without scoring, and with a game plan of getting ahead before the Brewers’ vaunted bullpen could take over.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of getting ahead

Phrase

Bouchard scored twice in the second period, sparking Edmonton's rally by cutting it to 2-1 11 seconds into the frame on a long wrist shot through traffic.

— CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Bouchard scored twice in the second, sparking Edmonton’s rally by cutting it to 2-1 11 seconds into the period on a long wrist shot through traffic.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of cutting it

Phrase

The answer is that making good policy is challenging, and the definition of good policy itself is not clear cut.

— Scott Warren, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
What has not changed, though, are feelings of anxiety or uncertainty related to money, which can complicate making good decisions.

— Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of making good

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

making sport of

making the grade

making tracks

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Style

“Making the grade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/making%20the%20grade. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of making the grade

phrase

Example Sentences

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