ENGLISH
REFERENCE

make it

v.
B1 Intermediate
Definition

v. to succeed in being or doing something, or to arrive at a place in time. You often use this when a task was difficult or when you were in a hurry.

v. to achieve success in a specific endeavour or to arrive at a destination or event as planned. This idiomatic expression often implies overcoming obstacles or time constraints.


SIMPLE

I ran to the station and managed to make it just in time.

CONTEXTUAL

Despite the heavy snow and traffic delays, the entire team managed to make it to the conference before the keynote speech.

COMPLEX

Very few startups actually make it past their first year, but those that do often possess a clear vision and resilient leadership.

Usage

Intransitive; the object 'it' is part of the idiom and does not refer to a specific noun.

Pitfall

He made it to become a doctor.He made it as a doctor.When referring to a career success, 'make it' is followed by 'as' plus a noun, not an infinitive verb.

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