make for — move towards a place
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutraloccasional
to go in the direction of a place, usually with a purpose or intention.
Say it like a native
Textbook Upon hearing the alarm, we proceeded towards the exit.
Native When the alarm went off, we made for the exit.
'Make for' compactly means head towards with purpose; 'proceeded towards' is officious.
Pattern: make for + noun/place
In use
- As soon as the bell rang, the students made for the exit.daily life
- During emergencies, people often make for the nearest exit to ensure their safety.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ We made to the exit.
✓ We made for the exit.
'Make FOR' a place — don't drop 'for', and don't use 'to'.
Common collocations
make for + place— the door, the exit, home, the hills
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'make' (to create something).
Related
- make for (help to produce a result) — Another meaning of 'make for' is 'help to produce a result'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.