From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmake the grademake the gradeGOOD ENOUGHto succeed or reach the necessary standard What does it take to make the grade as a top golfer? → grade
Examples from the Corpus
make the grade• Only a few athletes make the grade in professional sports.• A handful of dramas make the grade but the sitcoms are failing miserably.• Durham deliver PRE-SEASON thoughts on the prospects of newcomers Durham making the grade were borne out in the early weeks.• About 3. 1 million families made the grade this year.• Only the talented few make the grade in professional golf.• She would like to become a lawyer but she's not sure whether she'll make the grade.• The best strategy is to have small males who stick like glue on the rare occasions when one makes the grade.• It decided me that I wasn't going to be good enough to make the grade.• I normally sell it straight off the combine for malting, or feed if it fails to make the grade.• It became an aloof, lonely personal fight to make the grade.• Then the firm are given one year to make the grade. 