make a living
IdiomsExample 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 long shutdown put some fishermen out of work and led others to turn to catching crabs or other fish to make a living.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
Louise ended her operation in 2019 for two reasons: One was she didn't make a living out of it.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
He found his way to Ramallah, where he opened a successful downtown falafel restaurant to make a living, and above all feed his family still in Gaza.
From Barron's • May 9, 2026
Show up, work hard, be productive, get paid and make a living.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Someday I would have to make a living, so I needed some kind of career.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
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.
