squeak by

Idioms  

1. Also, squeak through. Manage barely to pass, win, survive, or the like, as in They are just squeaking by on their income, or He squeaked through the driver's test. This idiom transfers squeak in the sense of “barely emit a sound” to “narrowly manage something.” [First half of 1900s] Also see squeeze through.

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Example Sentences

Maye just managed to squeak by the understaffed Broncos and their backup QB.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

They embraced risk and played to win big rather than striving not to offend and hoping to squeak by.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2024

“I’ve always been able to squeak by until now,” he said by phone from his home in West Kelowna, British Columbia.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2023

“I think that many sectors of California agriculture are going to be able to squeak by this year,” Scheuring said.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 3, 2021

You squeak by with a score between 1000 and 1249.

From "Legend" by Marie Lu