To create or build something using a particular material.
"The children made a robot out of cardboard boxes and tin foil."
You can make a meal out of almost anything if you know what you're doing.
— Nigella Lawson, How to Eat, 1998
To create or construct something using a particular material or set of available resources.
Build or create something by using another thing as the material.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To create or build something using a particular material.
"The children made a robot out of cardboard boxes and tin foil."
You can make a meal out of almost anything if you know what you're doing.
— Nigella Lawson, How to Eat, 1998
To treat or exaggerate something beyond its actual importance (often 'make a big deal out of').
"Don't make a drama out of a small misunderstanding."
To produce something by taking it out of a source material — the literal meaning is very close to the idiomatic meaning.
Build or create something by using another thing as the material.
Often conveys resourcefulness or improvisation. Very natural in everyday speech and easy for learners to use productively.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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