make tick

Meaning

To cause someone or something to operate the way it does.

Example

I honestly don't know the specifics that make him tick, and I wish I did.

I honestly don't know the specifics that make him tick, and I wish I did.

Practice tips

• Practice make tick out loud — read the pronunciation guide above and repeat.
• Use it in your own sentence today; reuse beats rereading.
• Pay attention to context: this English idiom is for intermediate-level learners.

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