eke out
Britishverb
-
to make (a supply) last, esp by frugal use
they eked out what little food was left
-
to support (existence) with difficulty and effort
-
to add to (something insufficient), esp with effort
to eke out an income with evening work
-
Supplement, make last, as in The survivors eked out their food and water until they were rescued . [Late 1500s]
-
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.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, its 14th record of the year, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.03% to eke out its 20th record of the year.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
The S&P 500 gained 0.1% to eke out a record, and has climbed 3.5% in its nine-day run—the longest streak of daily gains since early May 2025.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
But enthusiasm for some of the predicted nominees isn’t at its zenith: “Despite grim reviews for its latest season, ‘Euphoria’ will still eke out a nomination because Zendaya can do no wrong,” grouses Kristen Baldwin.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 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
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
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.
