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 number of places in the world where someone can earn a living making serious-minded fine art has shrunk drastically—now the number of places where people go to prison for rigorous creative action is rising at an alarming speed.
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Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
No one should be trying to hurt someone’s way to earn a living, and certainly not about ancillary people that have nothing to do with our friend group.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
For many workers, the industry offers an opportunity to earn a living wage without a college degree.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
Most authors don’t earn a living from writing books.
—Maris Kreizman
september 25, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earn a living
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Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
No one should be trying to hurt someone’s way to earn a living, and certainly not about ancillary people that have nothing to do with our friend group.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
For many workers, the industry offers an opportunity to earn a living wage without a college degree.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
Most authors don’t earn a living from writing books.
—Maris Kreizman
september 25, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 6 Dec. 2025.
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