eke out

verb

eked out; eking out; ekes out
Synonyms of eke outnext

transitive verb

1
: to make up for the deficiencies of : supplement
eked out his income by getting a second job
2
: to make (a supply) last by economy

Examples of eke out in a Sentence

eked out a living from the family's small farm
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Stocks eked out a weekly gain on Friday, as traders weighed fresh in-line core inflation reading and blockbuster earnings report from Nvidia against persistent tensions in the Middle East. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026 Those who live outside eke out a living in different areas run by train gangs. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026 But 15,000 years ago, a group of hunter-gatherers known as the Natufian culture living in the southern Levant did more than eke out an existence. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026 Zoomer barely managed to eke out a win in this year's competition, weighing in at just six pounds heavier than the runner-up. — Isabelle Foland, Des Moines Register, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for eke out

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of eke out was in 1596

Rhymes for eke out

See All Rhymes for eke out

Browse Nearby Words

ekename
eke out
EKG
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eke out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eke%20out. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

eke out

verb
ˈēk-
1
a
: supplement entry 2
eked out their small income by working for neighbors
b
: to make (a supply) last by careful use
2
: to get with great difficulty
eked out a living from the poor soil of the family's farm
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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