eke out
Britishverb
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to make (a supply) last, esp by frugal use
they eked out what little food was left
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to support (existence) with difficulty and effort
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to add to (something insufficient), esp with effort
to eke out an income with evening work
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Supplement, make last, as in The survivors eked out their food and water until they were rescued . [Late 1500s]
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Get with great difficulty or effort, as in The soil was terrible but they managed to eke out a living by rotating crops . [Early 1800s]
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.
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
Investors sheltered in shares of utilities and consumer staples, the only S&P 500 sectors to eke out gains.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
The nature of T20 cricket means bat dominates ball, although "skilful bowlers remain skilful bowlers," according to Conrad and batsmen need to clear boundaries rather than eke out long innings.
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
Rumor had it that they had booked passage on a ship to America, where they planned to open a Russian tea room, perhaps in New York City, and eke out a living that way.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
