earn a living
idiom
: to earn the money needed for food, clothing, etc.
She's just trying to earn a living.
Examples of earn a living in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The experience proves that traditional crafts can still be a viable way to earn a living.
—
Karen Gardiner, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2023
They have been driven by the country’s poorest and most marginalized people, those who turned to smuggling to earn a living, often at the risk of death or life in a prison camp.
—Joshua Stanton, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2017
Day care needs to be affordable so these mothers can earn a living.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2024
New York is tough and a girl’s got to earn a living.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
No one should be put in unsafe circumstances while trying to earn a living.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024
Many service workers have come to depend on gratuities to earn a living.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 10 May 2024
Pierre said even though the cruise ship tourists didn’t come to the city itself, there are a lot of vendors who depend on cruises to earn a living.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 May 2024
Don’t take risks with your reputation, health or ability to earn a living.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 6 May 2024
Karen Gardiner, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2023
They have been driven by the country’s poorest and most marginalized people, those who turned to smuggling to earn a living, often at the risk of death or life in a prison camp.
—Joshua Stanton, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2017
Day care needs to be affordable so these mothers can earn a living.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2024
New York is tough and a girl’s got to earn a living.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
No one should be put in unsafe circumstances while trying to earn a living.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024
Many service workers have come to depend on gratuities to earn a living.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 10 May 2024
Pierre said even though the cruise ship tourists didn’t come to the city itself, there are a lot of vendors who depend on cruises to earn a living.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 May 2024
Don’t take risks with your reputation, health or ability to earn a living.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 6 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'earn a living.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near earn a living
Cite this Entry
“Earn a living.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earn%20a%20living. Accessed 18 Jun. 2024.
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