Phrase guide

they don't make them like that anymore

phrase · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

phrase

Meaning 1

Expressing such notions as that the person referred to is excellent and that owing to the decline of society, such people have become rarer; the old school was better; the youth today lack something that previous generations had more of; all the good ones are taken; and so on.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • A: What a guardian angel that guy was to so many people. B: Yup. They don't make them like that anymore.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

phrase

Meaning 2

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see they, don't, make, them, like, that, anymore: the model of vehicle, machine, or device exemplified by the instance under discussion is no longer manufactured.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.