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When I was reading Twitter, I found the sentence using “can't make it anymore”. I could get it out what the sentence means but I couldn't get any result in google about the meaning of “can't make it anymore”.

If you can't make it anymore, you can get a refund from your ticketing agent.

Is the sentence commonly used?

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  • Make it is an idiom meaning attend. Can you make it? --> Can you attend? I can't make it. --> I can't attend. We can actually use make with a non-pronoun too: Can you make the party? I can't make the party. en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/make_it#Verb Commented Feb 10, 2020 at 2:59

2 Answers 2

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Some of the many meanings of make include to arrive, to reach, or to accomplish.

These usages are informal, but well understood and virtually universal in the US.

make v.tr
12. a. To arrive at; reach: made Seattle in two hours.
b. To reach in time: just made the plane.
TFD Online

In addition to the usage you cite, here are some more examples.

I can't make it to your birthday party. I have to go out of town.
We made it to the bar just as it was closing.
If you can't make it on Thursday we'll have to reschedule the meeting.

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  • This meaning of “make it” is ubiquitous in ordinary Australian English too. But I do have some concern about how idiomatic this particular sentence is. The use of “ticketing agent” makes the last half of the sentence sound formal (like it might be part of the Terms and Conditions printed on the ticket) and yet “you can’t make it anymore” is definitely in an informal register (like your friend is telling you this). Commented Feb 10, 2020 at 10:21
  • @OrbitalAussie: I agree with the register dissonance, but it's not surprising to find a tin-eared use of English on Twitter and other online venues.
    – Robusto
    Commented Feb 10, 2020 at 15:14
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"You can't make an event" means you cannot attend the event. This sentence says that if you cannot attend the event you were supposed to attend, you can get a refund for your bought ticket. "make something" in this sense is not a formal usage, so be aware if you are using this structure in a formal document.

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