make up — become friends again after an argument
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To forgive each other and be friendly again after a disagreement.
Say it like a native
Textbook They reconciled following their disagreement.
Native They made up after the argument.
'Make up' is the everyday verb for becoming friends again; 'reconciled' is formal/written.
Pattern: make up (with someone)
In use
- After their fight, they made up and went for coffee.relationships
- It's important to make up with friends after disagreements to keep good relationships.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ They made up their argument.
✓ They made up after their argument.
You 'make up WITH someone' / 'make up AFTER an argument', not 'make up the argument'.
Common collocations
make up + reconcile— with her, after a fight, and move on, again
Don't confuse it
This sense is about relationships, not inventing stories.
Related
- make up (invent (a story, excuse, etc.)) — Another meaning of 'make up' is 'invent (a story, excuse, etc.)'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.