# make do

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/make-do
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To survive, get by (with), or use whatever is available (due to lack of resources).

## Examples

- We don't have much money, but we make do.
- The hotel was full, so we had to make do with a small room near the elevator.
- Cut off from supply lines and facing winter, the isolated village learned to make do with what the land provided.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.