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Synonyms

make a living

Idioms  

  1. Earn enough to support oneself, as in Can he make a living as a freelance trumpeter? This term was first recorded in 1632.

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.

And the 300,000 Cubans who make a living off the tourist industry are already feeling the pinch.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

Though he found freedom in Glasgow’s queer community, he couldn’t make a living there.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

If he can’t make a living in Nantong either, he said, “I’ll just have to live off my parents.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

Ernesto never did get the taxi, but he did find enough work to make a living.

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2026

“A man can’t make a living out of books and scraps of paper,” Dad said.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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.