eke

adverb

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\ ˈēk

Definition of eke

(Entry 1 of 2)

archaic

: also

eke

verb

eked; eking

Definition of eke (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 archaic : increase, lengthen

2 : to get with great difficulty —usually used with out eke out a living

Synonyms Example Sentences Phrases Containing eke Learn More About eke

Examples of eke in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Those early pioneers figured out how to harness water to eke a living out of the inhospitable, arid West. — Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 Apr. 2022 Restaurants operate with razor-thin profit margins in normal times, so they’re built to eke their way into the black, not reinvent themselves wholesale. — Saahil Desai, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2022 And yet amid the obvious standstill, a coterie of lawmakers including Greene continues to eke political mileage out of seeming perpetually on the verge of making Silicon Valley pay. — Brian Fung, CNN, 6 Jan. 2022 Just as optimism began to eke its way into the minds of corporate leaders, a wave of uncertainty reared its ugly head. — Brian Peccarelli, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2022 So Gilmer looks for ways to eke more power out of the lines where congestion is a big problem. — Gregory Barber, Wired, 8 Dec. 2021 To get to the Final Four in the first of back-to-back seasons, the Badgers had to eke past top-seeded Arizona in the Elite Eight, with a 64-63 thriller in overtime. — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Nov. 2021 And lots and lots of redwoods. Northern California is a treasure trove of memorable adventures for travelers hoping to eke every bit of enjoyment out of summer. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2021 Paradise went from 26,581 residents to 4,608 in 2020, with people slowly trickling back this year to eke the population up to 6,046. — Madalyn Amato, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'eke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.