# make the grade

idiom

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

## Meaning

To prove satisfactory; to be successful or worthy of merit.

## Examples

- He worked hard, but he did not make the grade.
- You need a high score to make the grade for this team.
- Does this cheap camera make the grade for professional work?
- She practiced every day for the audition, hoping she would finally make the grade.
- The new software update did not make the grade because it kept crashing during the final testing phase.
- After three months of training, the manager decided that the new recruit simply did not make the grade.
- The restaurant critic said the food was tasty, but the slow service meant the dining experience didn't quite make the grade for a five-star review.
- Despite his extensive experience in the field, he failed to make the grade during the final round of the rigorous selection process.

## Origin

The idiom is probably derived from the late 19th-century railway practice of a train successfully climbing a steep incline, or grade. It suggests a locomotive possessing sufficient power to ascend a sloping length of track without stalling, though the story remains a popular but unproven theory of the term's origin. (disputed)

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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.