From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmake itmake ita) ARRIVEto succeed in getting somewhere in time for something or when this is difficult If we run, we should make it.make it to With blood pouring from his leg, he made it to a nearby house. b) SUCCESSFULto be successful at something, for example in your job He came to the US and not only made it but made it big (=was extremely successful). So far, relatively few women have made it to the top in the business world.make it as He was told he had no talent and would never make it as a professional singer.make it to England look less likely to make it to the finals.make it to manager/director etc How did anyone so stupid make it to manager? c) spokenGO TO/ATTEND to be able to go to an event, meeting etc that has been arranged I’m really sorry, but I won’t be able to make it on Sunday after all. Nice to see you. I’m glad you could make it. d) SURVIVE informal to continue to live after you have been seriously ill or badly injured Frank was very ill, and the doctors didn’t think he’d make it. e) to manage to deal with a difficult experiencemake it through I couldn’t have made it through those times without the support of my boyfriend. f) used to say or ask what time it is according to your own or someone else’s watch What time do you make it? I make it ten past three. → make
Examples from the Corpus
make through• I still try to ensure that in general he makes it through a book within a week or ten days.• The inner ring itself could never quite understand her arrival there, and concluded finally that she made it through sheer cheek.• That we made it through Taos without being apprehended seems astonishing.• But once a manager makes it through the early tough years, the job becomes much more lucrative.• Lesley's family, colleagues and friends were praying she would make it through the first critical hours.• Their superiors said all but three made it through the first year.• The rules to make it through the obstacle course of a day's commute to school are carefully laid out. 