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.

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Example Sentences

Because he has no state-issued documents, washing cars in the backstreets of Thembisa township near Johannesburg is one of the few ways he can make a living.

From BBC

I spent more than a decade in studios, realized I wasn’t going to be one of the talented few who make a living at it and drifted toward other work, carrying along the kind of disordered eating that often tags along for the ride.

From Salon

“Listen, I make a living from pickleball now,” Klapper said.

From Los Angeles Times

It wasn't just Dave who told us the introduction of Evri's "small packets" has made it harder to make a living.

From BBC

What farmers want, Mr. Ragland added, “is opportunities to make a living, to make a profit from the market, not being dependent on the next program to keep us from bleeding to death.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• back
• encourage
• finance
• fund
• maintain
• raise
• set up
• sponsor
• strengthen
• subsidize
• uphold