eke out

verb

eked out; eking out; ekes out

transitive verb

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

Wall Street is coming off a positive session, with stocks eking out a gain Monday even after President Donald Trump threatened a 30% tariff on the European Union and Mexico starting Aug. 1. —Pia Singh,sarah Min, CNBC, 14 July 2025

This location is home to both a rogue’s gallery of mutants and the titular stalkers who eke out a living scavenging artifacts. —Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 9 July 2025

So far this week, the Stampeders have defeated the Blue Bombers 37-16, the Tiger-Cats beat the Argonauts in a thrilling 51-38 contest, and the Lions eked out a 21-20 win over the Alouettes. —Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025

The absence of large numbers of migrants might prove temporary, said Martinez, a Democrat who eked out a narrow victory in November. —Alfredo Corchado, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for eke out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout

Kids Definition

eke out

verb

ˈēk-

1

a

: supplement entry 2

eked out their small income by working for neighbors

b

: to make (a supply) last by careful use

2

: to get with great difficulty

eked out a living from the poor soil of the family's farm