eke out
verb
eked out; eking out; ekes out
1
: to make up for the deficiencies of : supplement
eked out his income by getting a second job
2
: to make (a supply) last by economy
Examples of eke out in a Sentence
eked out a living from the family's small farm
Recent Examples on the Web
Green pointed to the close games in which Indiana was able to eke out wins in the fourth quarter.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Nov. 2025
The Chiefs dug themselves out of a rut for the first time all season, eking out a 23-20 overtime win against the Colts.
—Sam McDowell 24, Kansas City Star, 24 Nov. 2025
If Democrats eke out a victory, the Republican majority would shrink to 217-216.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
In one of the many tributaries of the great Yukon River in Alaska, this couple eked out a precarious living fishing for salmon while hoping to find gold.
—David McWilliams, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for eke out
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Nov. 2025
The Chiefs dug themselves out of a rut for the first time all season, eking out a 23-20 overtime win against the Colts.
—Sam McDowell 24, Kansas City Star, 24 Nov. 2025
If Democrats eke out a victory, the Republican majority would shrink to 217-216.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
In one of the many tributaries of the great Yukon River in Alaska, this couple eked out a precarious living fishing for salmon while hoping to find gold.
—David McWilliams, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for eke out
Cite this Entry
“Eke out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eke%20out. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share