make a go of

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make a go of (third-person singular simple present makes a go of, present participle making a go of, simple past and past participle made a go of)

1. (idiomatic) To succeed in (something); especially, to succeed in making a living.
   • 2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 202:

     Look, I came up to make a go of this. To stop running away from the best thing I've had. To stop you running away.

   He quit his regular job and tried to make a go of it as an artist.

   They made a go of the new business.

   They had to sell farm; after three consecutive crop failures, they just couldn’t make a go of it.

• give it a go