make advances

1. Attempt to make someone's acquaintance or make overtures, as in The ambassador knew that the ministers would soon make advances to him . [Late 1600s]

2. Approach amorously or sexually, as in His wife accused him of making advances to the nanny . [c. 1700] Also see make a pass at .

Example Sentences

A lengthy delay in U.S. military aid and Western Europe’s inadequate military production has slowed crucial deliveries to the battlefield for Ukraine, and Russia has exploited the delays to make advances in the Kharkiv region.

From Seattle Times

In contravention of their oath, the men make advances on the sly and the wary women prank them to test their mettle.

From New York Times

"You need hypotheses that are linguistically informed to make advances in neurolinguistics. There's so much interest in the years before Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed, to see if it can be caught and its progression stopped."

From Science Daily

Zelenskyy has said that delays in aid from the U.S. and other Western countries are creating an opening for Russia to make advances on the battlefield, with Ukrainian forces running dangerously low on ammunition and weaponry.

From Seattle Times

Meloni broke up with Andrea Giambruno, the father of her daughter, after a Mediaset satirical show broadcast off-air video clips last week in which he used foul language and appeared to make advances to a female colleague.

From Reuters

Related Words

• entertain
• get around
• mingle