make for

[jctgf]

"Adding food scarcity and expensive fuel to the mix have made for a very volatile situation, he said."

hi,
in the text above, does "made for" mean "caused" or "led to"?
how common is it used in informal conversations, please?
thanks.

[Anglika]

Yes, it carries those meanings.

As to how common it is, that's not easy to answer. I've heard the construct, usually in slightly formal or academic contexts.