make ends meet

phrase

: to make one's means adequate to one's needs

did all they could do to make ends meet

Examples of make ends meet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Did Sylvester Stallone live on the street, star in an adult film, and sell his dog to make ends meet? — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2026

Even with the extra pay, Fortich cleans houses and does private tutoring on the side to make ends meet. — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026

But Ukrainian farmers are struggling to make ends meet amid the war. — Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2026

Her husband started selling his collection of vintage rock band T-shirts online to help make ends meet. — Amy L. Wong, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for make ends meet

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete