eke
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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ekes,
present (3rd person singular)
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eked,
past participle, past
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eking
present participle
verb phrase
adverb
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ekesimple
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ekessimple
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have ekedperfect
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has ekedperfect
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am ekingprogressive
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are ekingprogressive
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is ekingprogressive
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have been ekingperfect progressive
-
has been ekingperfect progressive
Past
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ekedsimple
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had ekedperfect
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was ekingprogressive
-
were ekingprogressive
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had been ekingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of eke1
before 1000; Middle English eken, Old English ēac ( i ) an (intransitive), derivative of ēaca (noun) increase; Middle English echen, Old English ēcan, variant of īecan (transitive) < West Germanic *aukjan; both akin to Old Norse auka, Gothic aukan, Latin augēre, Greek auxánein to increase, amplify
Origin of eke2
before 900; Middle English eek, Old English ēc, ēac; cognate with German auch, Old Norse, Gothic auk
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Calls for steps to stimulate domestic consumption went largely unanswered as a surge in exports helped it to eke out sufficient growth to meet its official target for the year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
At once straight-faced, sacrilegious and scatological, “Team America” needed nine tries to eke past the MPAA.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
While the world number one could not add to the tally, he largely demonstrated the consistency for which is he famed to eke out a solid, if unspectacular 70.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
The economy should eke out a 1.5% growth rate in the first quarter, but will start the April-June quarter “on really bad footing.”
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 28, 2026
Many of Alexandra’s first settlers came from the tribal reserves, where they could no longer eke out a living, to seek work in the city of gold.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Once juggling multiple odd jobs, Helal Uddin now ekes out a living running a food cart.
From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026
For Ricardo, who ekes out a living as a motorcycle mechanic, the meaning outweighs the risk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2023
In the battle of Barbenheimer, Gerwig’s comedy ekes out a victory over “Oppenheimer,” proving that some fights can be finished with no nuclear escalation whatsoever.
From New York Times ● Aug. 2, 2023
She ekes out a living crocheting bags and clothing, earning less than $10 a week, and relies on food donations from the parallel civilian government.
From Reuters ● Jan. 31, 2023
The glass of the bowl is so thick that only a gentle radiance comes from it and yet it ekes out the light from the candles.”
From Ethel Morton at Sweetbriar Lodge by Mabell S. C. (Mabell Shippie Clarke) Smith
A political newcomer, Marx eked out his victory in a three-way race by less than 2,500 votes out of more than 520,000 cast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
The millennial sex therapist eked out a narrow win in the Democratic primary election in March and will advance to a runoff with the second-place finisher, sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia, on Tuesday.
From Slate ● May 22, 2026
The Hangzhou-based company eked out adjusted net profit of 86 million yuan, equivalent to $12.7 million, in the three months ended March, down sharply from 29.85 billion yuan a year earlier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
The S&P 500 eked out a 0.1% gain today and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.2%—small but mighty gains considering both indexes closed at record highs.
From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026
By 4 A.M., when the stand closes, he has eked out 30 pesos, or S3.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
Its most traded contracts swung back above $4,300 a troy ounce after eking out a gain in July, ending a series of four monthly declines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Staff at Softstar Shoes in Oregon have discovered a newfound enthusiasm for eking out resources and growing profits.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
Hoan worked from the same slab of concrete for a decade, eking out a modest living hawking colourful bouquets.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
That research has shed light on existential threats facing the big cats eking out an existence in an increasingly urbanized landscape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2025
The gear will just weigh us down, and we at least need to try to find them before eking out a life inside caves and eating lake vines.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
