live off
verb
lived off; living off; lives off
: to use (something or someone) as the main source of what one needs to survive (such as money or food)
… the indigenous … people, who have inhabited the rain forest of Irian Jaya, living off the land, for thousands of years.—
Eyal Press
Eyal Press… the fish goes into a kind of hibernation, living off its reserves of fat …—Mark Carwardine
Mark Carwardine… she is one of the few Iditarod competitors who have turned professional, living off race winnings.—National Wildlife
National Wildlife… a growing subculture of people who have reduced their spending habits and live off consumer waste.—Erika Hayasaki
Erika HayasakiMax lives off his father …—Harold Beaver
Harold BeaverExamples of live off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The orcas that live off the western coast of North America are in trouble.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 May 2024
The Whites can’t work and live off a disability check of less than $1,000 a month.
—Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 28 May 2024
Several populations of the animals live off the coast of Washington, and they are found throughout most of the world’s oceans.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 22 May 2024
Since emergency pandemic benefits expired last year, kids of single parents making $37,000 a year or more must pay for school lunches while thousands of older adults living off Social Security rely on $40 of food stamps and free pantries every month.
—Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2024
New York City hotspots like Rockefeller Center, the Met, and Central Park Zoo are a stone’s throw away from Park Avenue, which makes living off the famous strip incredibly desirable.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 12 May 2024
Finding housing in Sacramento is difficult for those such as the Whites, who can’t work and live off a monthly disability check of less than $1,000.
—Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 9 May 2024
In San Francisco, Sam Dogen faithfully saved his finance-job paychecks for 13 years before retiring in 2012 to live off passive investment income.
—Amy X. Wang, New York Times, 7 May 2024
In total, researchers found 81 different species living off the Sussex coast, including eels, sharks and fish.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 May 2024
The Whites can’t work and live off a disability check of less than $1,000 a month.
—Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 28 May 2024
Several populations of the animals live off the coast of Washington, and they are found throughout most of the world’s oceans.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 22 May 2024
Since emergency pandemic benefits expired last year, kids of single parents making $37,000 a year or more must pay for school lunches while thousands of older adults living off Social Security rely on $40 of food stamps and free pantries every month.
—Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2024
New York City hotspots like Rockefeller Center, the Met, and Central Park Zoo are a stone’s throw away from Park Avenue, which makes living off the famous strip incredibly desirable.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 12 May 2024
Finding housing in Sacramento is difficult for those such as the Whites, who can’t work and live off a monthly disability check of less than $1,000.
—Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 9 May 2024
In San Francisco, Sam Dogen faithfully saved his finance-job paychecks for 13 years before retiring in 2012 to live off passive investment income.
—Amy X. Wang, New York Times, 7 May 2024
In total, researchers found 81 different species living off the Sussex coast, including eels, sharks and fish.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'live off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Live off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20off. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
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