making memories

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "making memories" is correct and usable in written English
It can be used when referring to the act of creating lasting experiences or moments with others. Example: "During our family vacation, we focused on making memories that we would cherish forever."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

These days it's more about making memories".

Independent

Redondo, R. L. & Morris, R. G. Making memories last: the synaptic tagging and capture hypothesis.

Nature

And what's an extra week when you're making memories that will last (almost) forever?

The New York Times

Besides making memories stickier, exercise can help you focus and stay on task.

The Guardian

We hypothesize that when teens sleep, the brain is going through processes of consolidation — learning of experiences or making memories.

Stanford University

Prepare to share a moment with your loved ones while making memories that will last a lifetime.

The Washington Post

But that shouldn't be at the expense of spending quality time with your children, having fun and making memories".

The Guardian

Ryan added: "We're about making memories, about family entertainment and last night we had a father and a son at the game and had a very tragic incident.

The New York Times - Sports

We're about making memories, about family entertainment and last night we had a father and a son at the game and had a very tragic incident.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

She should have ample insight into image-making, memories and artists' entwined lives.

The New York Times

After that, Tonga, a name that conjures up all of sorts of cringe-making memories of Andy Robinson's last day in charge of the Scotland team.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In professional or scientific contexts, feel free to use it when discussing the neurological process of memory consolidation, as seen in Ludwig examples from Nature.

Common error

Avoid using "making memories" solely to refer to taking photographs. While photos help, the phrase fundamentally refers to the psychological and emotional experience. If you only mean digital storage, consider using "recording events" or "taking photos".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "making memories" functions primarily as a gerund-participle phrase or a verb-object construction. In the data provided by Ludwig, it often serves as the object of a preposition (e.g. "about making memories") or as a direct object (e.g. "enjoys making memories"). Ludwig AI confirms its validity as a standard transitive construction where the action of "making" is applied to the abstract concept of "memories".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

15%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Personal Blogs

3%

Formal & Business

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "making memories" is a robust and highly versatile expression that is fully supported by Ludwig AI as a correct usage in modern English. It appears across a wide spectrum of sources, from high-tier news outlets like The Guardian and The New York Times to prestigious scientific journals like Nature. While its most frequent application is in lifestyle and family contexts to emphasize the importance of shared experiences, it also holds significant weight in the scientific community when describing the mechanics of human cognition. Whether you are writing a heartfelt personal essay or a rigorous academic paper on neuroscience, "making memories" serves as an effective way to describe the transition of a present moment into a permanent part of one's personal history.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

creating memories

Provides a slightly more intentional or artistic nuance to the process of experience building

building memories

Suggests a cumulative or constructive process over a period of time

capturing moments

Often implies a more visual or immediate preservation of an event

forging memories

Adds a sense of strength or profound impact to the experiences being shared

sharing experiences

Focuses more on the interpersonal act rather than the resulting mental record

cultivating recollections

A more formal and literary way to describe the nurturing of past experiences

etching memories

Metaphorical language emphasizing the permanence and depth of the experience

forming mental associations

Shifts to a technical or psychological perspective on how memory works

preserving milestones

Emphasizes the significance of specific major life events

crafting a legacy

Broadens the scope to long-term impact and historical remembrance

FAQs

Is "making memories" grammatically correct?

Yes, it is perfectly correct. According to Ludwig AI, it is a standard English expression used by high-authority sources like The New York Times and Stanford University to describe the act of creating lasting impressions through experiences.

What is the difference between "making memories" and "creating memories"?

There is virtually no difference in meaning. While both are interchangeable, "creating memories" is sometimes perceived as slightly more formal, whereas "making memories" is the more common idiomatic choice in daily speech and lifestyle journalism.

Can I use "making memories" in a scientific paper?

Yes, you can. Scientific journals such as Nature use it specifically to refer to the synaptic processes of memory formation and consolidation, often in phrases like "making memories last".

What can I say instead of "making memories"?

Depending on your context, you might use "building memories" for a long-term process, "capturing moments" for photography-related contexts, or "forging memories" for particularly intense experiences.