A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

make a noise in the world
(make a
noise)
make a parade 
(hold a parade)
make a pig of oneself 
(eat like a pig )
make a play for someone 
(play down to
someone)
make a play for something 
(make play
with something )
make a proposition 
(make a proposal)
make a raise 
(get a raise)
make a run for it
(make a run)
make a showing
(make a show)
make a time about something 
(make a
time for something )
make a to-do about it
(make a do of
it)
make a work 
(do a work)
make amends for something
(make
amendments to something )
make an advance 
(make advances)
make an example of someone
(hold
someone up as an example)
make an exception to something
(make an exception for something )
make an excuse
(excuse oneself )
make away with something
(do away
with something )
make both ends meet 
(be at loose ends)
make concessions
(grant concessions)
make contact with someone
(come into
contact with someone)
make do with something
(make a do of
it)
make face
(make a face)
make faces
(do faces)
make free with something 
(make free
of something )
make fun of someone
(make a fun over
someone)
make good
(do good)
make good going 
(go while the going is
good)
make good on something
(do well in
something )
make good time
(have a good time)
make great game of something 
(make
a big play of something )
make hay while the sun shines 
(make
hay of something )
make history 
(do history)
make it
(do it)
make it big 
(have it large)
make it go
(have a go at it)
make it one’s business
(make a business
of something )
make it up with someone
(make it up
to someone)
make light work of something
(make
light of something )
make lunch 
(do lunch)
make mincemeat of something
(make a
meal from something )
make money out of something 
(make
capital out of something )
make nothing out of something
(make nothing of something )
make off with someone 
(make off with
oneself )
make one’s bed 
(make a bed)
make one’s bones 
(make no bones about
something )
make one’s bow
(make a bow)
make one’s compliments to someone
(make a compliment to someone)
make one’s fortune
(make a fortune)
make one’s getaway 
(get away)
make one’s money
(do one’s money)
make one’s move 
(make a move)
make one’s number with someone 
(do
a number on someone)
make one’s vows
(make a vow)
make one’s way 
(make one’s own way)
make oneself up 
(do oneself down)
make out a case for something 
(make
it a federal case)
make out with someone 
(make out
someone)
make points with someone
(give points
to someone)
make progress
(be in progress)
make room
(do the room)
make someone free 
(make free with
someone)
make someone free of something 
(free
someone from something )
make someone hot
(make it hot for
someone)
make someone open his eyes wide
(make someone open his eyes)
make someone over
(make over some-
one)
make someone proud
(do someone
proud)
make someone up
(do someone up)
make someone’s blood freeze 
(make
someone’s blood boil)
make someone’s blood run cold 
(in
cold blood)
make someone’s day 
(make a day of
it)
make something over
(make over some-
thing )
make something up
(do something up)
make sport of someone 
(make sport for
someone)
make the bag
(make a bag )
make the best of it
(have the best of
it)
make the best of oneself 
(do best)
make the big time
(have a big time)
make the dishes 
(do the dishes)
make the dust fly 
(make a dust)
make the first step
(cast the first stone)
make the fur fly
(make the feathers fly)
make the grade in something 
(make a
mark in something )
make the pass
(make a pass)
make the point about something
(make a point of something )
make the race
(be in the race)
make the right noises (make a noise)
make the running
(be in the running )
make the scene
(make a scene)
make the trick
(do the trick)
make the worst of it
(do one’s worst)
make time 
(do time)
make time for something 
(make a time
for something )
make time with someone 
(make time
for someone)
make two bites of a cherry
(chase two
rabbits)
make up 
(do up)
make up a bed
(make down a bed)
make up a party 
(make a party)
make up a prescription 
(make out a
prescription)
make up for something 
(make for
something )
make up leeway 
(make leeway)
Phrase Index
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360 –

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make up on someone 
(make up for
someone)
make up to someone
(make it up to
someone)
make up with someone
(make up for
someone)
make weight 
(make up the weight)
make with something 
(do with some-
thing )
man-child
(child of man)
man-god
(God-man)
man of action
(action man)
man of all work
(jack of all trades)
man of blood and iron 
(man of blood)
man of blue blood 
(man of blood)
man of business
(businessman)
man of color 
(color man)
man of family
(family man)
man of figures
(man of figure)
man of fortune
(gentleman of fortune)
man of God
(godly man)
man of honor
(honor-man)
man of iron
(iron man)
Man of Kent
(Kentish man)
man of law
(lawman)
man of letters
(letterman)
man of light and leading 
(leading man)
man of luck 
(lucky man)
man of the cloth 
(clothes man)
man of the day 
(day-man)
man of the house
(house man)
man of the town 
(man about town)
man on the bus, the
(boys on the bus,
the)
man on the Clapham omnibus, the
(boys on the bus, the)
manna from heaven
(Hebrew manna)
mannish behavior
(manly behavior)
man’s man 
(man of men)
mansion house
(US) (mansion house
[UK])
mare’s tail
(horse tail)
marinara sauce 
(US) (marinara sauce
[UK])
mark someone’s cards 
(mark one’s
cards)
mark time 
(mark the time)
mark you
(mark my words)
marked man
(man of mark)
marked with something 
(marked for
something )
marksman
(man of mark)
martyr to something 
(martyr for some-
thing )
master of one’s own house 
(house mas-
ter)
master of the house 
(house master)
match something 
(match up to some-
thing )
match with something
(match up to
something )
maybe 
(may be)
meat eater
(Beefeater)
meat tea
(beef-tea)
meddle with something
(meddle in
something )
medicine man
(medical man)
Mediterranean fever 
(Mediterranean
disease)
meet one’s death
(catch one’s death)
meet with someone 
(meet someone)
meet with something
(meet something )
mend one’s ways
(be on the mend)
merge with something 
(merge into
something )
Middle Ages
(middle age)
middle-of-the-road 
(half-way)
middleman 
(man in the middle)
milch cow 
(cow in milk)
miles off
(miles away)
military honors
(honors of war)
milk route 
(milk and honey route)
milk run 
(milk round)
Milky Way
(milk and honey route)
mincemeat
(minced meat)
mind one’s p’s and q’s
(dot one’s I’s and
cross one’s t’s)
minuteman 
(man of the moment)
miss out something
(miss out on some-
thing )
mistaken in something
(mistaken
about something )
mix it up 
(be mixed up)
mix it up with someone
(get mixed up
with someone)
mix something with something 
(mix
something up with something )
mixed up with something 
(mixed up
in something )
money box
(coin box)
money is no question 
(it is not a ques-
tion of money)
money laundry 
(coin laundry)
monkey someone 
(make a monkey of
someone)
monkey suit
(monkey jacket)
monkey with something 
(monkey
something )
moon man 
(man in the moon)
moonlight 
(do a moonlight)
moonshine
(do a moonlight)
more dead than alive 
(dead-alive)
more kicks than halfpence
(more cry
than wool)
more than one can shake a stick at
(more than one bargains for)
Mother of God 
(godmother)
Mother State, the 
(Mother of South-
western Statesmen, the)
Mothering Sunday
(Mother’s Day)
motor car 
(US) (motor car [UK])
motor home 
(mobile home)
Mountain State, the
(Green Mountain
State, the)
mouse milk 
(milk the pigeon)