made do
Managed with less
Made do is the past tense of make do, meaning to manage with whatever is available despite its inadequacy: We made do with what we had.
The phrase implies resourcefulness under constraint—getting by without the ideal tools, ingredients, or resources.
During the war, families made do without sugar or butter.
Direct or handle successfully
- get bySurvive with minimal resources
- scrape bySurvive with minimal resources
- muddle throughProceed without clear direction
- surviveContinue to exist
endure · persevere · struggle · tough it out · soldier on · hang in there · weather · bear with
Temporary, improvised substitute
- jury-rigImprovise temporary repair
- cobble togetherAssemble hastily from whatever's available
- rigEquipment arrangement or vehicle
- kludgeAwkward but functional solution
tinker · contrive · hack · wing it · ad-lib · patchwork · bootstrap · DIY
Spend very sparingly
- stretchPull to extend
- budgetPlan for spending
- rationFixed allotted amount
- conserveKeep from being depleted
economize · frugality · thriftiness · penny-pinching · tighten belt · cut corners · go without · sacrifice
Clever, original thinking
- adaptabilityAbility to adjust readily
- creativityCapacity for original thought
- self-sufficiencyIndependence from outside aid
- repurposeAdapt for new use
scrounge · salvage · recycle · upcycle · scavenge · inventiveness · cleverness · practicality
Meeting the requirement
- sufficientMeeting minimum requirements
- passableMinimally sufficient quality
- serviceableFit for purpose
- acceptableMeeting minimum standards
tolerable · decent · adequate · functional · usable · workable · good enough · satisfactory
manage
Direct or handle successfully
- get bySurvive with minimal resources
- scrape bySurvive with minimal resources
- muddle throughProceed without clear direction
survive · endure · persevere · struggle · tough it out · soldier on · hang in there · weather · bear with · carry on
makeshift
Temporary, improvised substitute
- jury-rigImprovise temporary repair
- cobble togetherAssemble hastily from whatever's available
- rigEquipment arrangement or vehicle
kludge · tinker · contrive · hack · wing it · ad-lib · patchwork · bootstrap · DIY · workaround
scrimp
Spend very sparingly
conserve · economize · frugality · thriftiness · penny-pinching · tighten belt · cut corners · go without · sacrifice · pare down
ingenuity
Clever, original thinking
- adaptabilityAbility to adjust readily
- creativityCapacity for original thought
- self-sufficiencyIndependence from outside aid
repurpose · scrounge · salvage · recycle · upcycle · scavenge · inventiveness · cleverness · practicality · versatility
enough
Meeting the requirement
- sufficientMeeting minimum requirements
- passableMinimally sufficient quality
- serviceableFit for purpose
acceptable · tolerable · decent · adequate · functional · usable · workable · good enough · satisfactory · bare minimum
made dooptimized
Made maximally efficient
maximized · upgraded · went all out · pulled out all the stops
made dothrived
Grew vigorously, succeeded
flourished · prospered · excelled · succeeded · hit it big
make, do, made, maker, making, remake, makes, remade, unmade