make out to be
make (someone or something) out to be (something)
To characterize something in a certain way, often one that is not accurate. The trailer made the movie out to be an action-adventure, but it was really just a boring period piece. Please don't make me out to be a liar—at the time, I thought what I was telling you was true.
See also: make, out
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
make something out to be (something else)
to portray something as something else. You are trying to make this tragedy out to be a minor matter. They made the disease out to be something far more serious than it really is.
See also: make, out
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
- make (someone or something) out to be (something)
- Close only counts in horseshoes
- close only counts in horseshoes (and hand grenades)
- horseshoe
- derring
- derring do
- derring-do
- stamp (someone or something) as (something)
- stamp as
- stigmatize (someone or something) as (something)