#1 make it v. continue in existence after (an adversity, etc.); "He survived the cancer against all odds". wn #2 make it v. succeed in a big way; get to the top; "After he published his book, he had arrived"; "I don't know whether I can make it in science!"; "You will go far, my boy!". wn #3 make it v. go successfully through a test or a selection process; "She passed the new Jersey Bar Exam and can practice law now". wn