eke
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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
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has been ekingperfect progressive
Past
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ekedsimple
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had ekedperfect
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was ekingprogressive
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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:
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
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
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
And I know we make fun of Bunny for being such a dreadful Latinist, but he’d managed to eke out a pretty competent little English translation of the more recent entries.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Lori, who might be every bit as technically gifted as Julian, ekes out a living serving egg rolls in a food truck while sharing a walk-up loft with three other struggling painters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
Once juggling multiple odd jobs, Helal Uddin now ekes out a living running a food cart.
From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026
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
That he does before surrendering to his psychological flaw: his inability to be content with whatever success he ekes out.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2022
How am I to get on with a little country landagent that ekes out his 5 per cent with a little farming and a scrap of house property in the nearest country town?
From John Bull's Other Island by Shaw, Bernard
The Dodgers eked across a run in the third inning on a Freddie Freeman groundout with runners on second and third.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 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
While two— Royal Bank of Canada and Bank of Nova Scotia —have eked out gains of less than 1%, others are roaring ahead.
From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026
Yields on the 10-year index-linked gilts have climbed as much as 19 basis points since a special election in the Gorton and Denton constituency, in which the Green Party eked out a victory.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 20, 2026
The boat shot forward and Washington narrowly eked out the West’s first IRA victory.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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
Financial markets’ initial reaction to fighting in the Middle East was surprisingly mild, with U.S. stocks eking out a small gain Monday and oil prices at far from panic levels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
Frankie needs the money: She’s a young widow eking out a meager existence without custody of her young daughter and with an erratic condition that causes her to lose blocks of time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2025
But maybe he is just eking out life with no end game.
From Salon ● Mar. 21, 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.
