make up for — to do something to correct a bad situation
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to do something good or give something to balance out a mistake, loss, or something bad that happened.
Say it like a native
Textbook I wish to compensate for my earlier absence.
Native I want to make up for missing it earlier.
'Make up for' is the everyday phrase for compensating; 'compensate for' is formal.
Pattern: make up for + noun/gerund
In use
- I brought flowers to make up for forgetting her birthday.daily life
- If I miss a class, I always try to make up for it by studying extra at home.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I'll make up my mistake.
✓ I'll make up for my mistake.
'Make up FOR' something — without 'for' it means invent.
Common collocations
make up for + shortfall— lost time, it, the mistake, missing it
Don't confuse it
Do not confuse with 'make up' (to invent or create) or 'make up with' (to become friends again after an argument).