Do, make, make do, do make!

Usage Guide: Tricky Expressions with “Do” vs. “Make”

Expressions with “Do”

Expression	Meaning	Example Usage
Do time	Serve a prison sentence	He did time for tax fraud.
Do the trick	Achieve the desired result	A little glue should do the trick.
Do away with	Eliminate or abolish	They did away with the old policy.
Do someone in	Exhaust or kill (slang)	That workout really did me in.
Do without	Manage despite lack of something	We’ll have to do without electricity.
Do a number on	Harm or damage	The sun really did a number on my skin.

• do is also used for emphasis: I did make it on time!

Expressions with “Make”

Expression	Meaning	Example Usage
Make do	Manage with limited resources	We didn’t have much, but we made do.
Make off with	Steal and escape	The thief made off with the jewels.
Make it	Succeed or survive	She made it through the surgery.
Make a scene	Cause a public disturbance	Please don’t make a scene.
Make up for	Compensate	He worked late to make up for lost time.
Make out	Understand or kiss (contextual)	I couldn’t make out what he said.
		They were making out on a corner.

Common Confusions (Fixed Phrases)

Correct Phrase	Common Mistake
Make a decision	❌ Do a decision
Do business	❌ Make business
Make a mistake	❌ Do a mistake
Do your best	❌ Make your best