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
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.
But the Lions got just enough from their collection of talent to eke out a one-point victory and ruin the party on banner night. Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 From week one to week two, both shows eked out another 2% uptick in their audiences as well. Katie Campione, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025 Mazuera Arias eked out a razor-thin win by less than 40 votes. Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2025 The Fins’ defense dearly needed those three Jets turnovers and fumble recoveries by Minkah Fitzpatrick, Jaelan Phillips and one Dante Trader to eke out the win. Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for eke out

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of eke out was in 1596

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eke out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eke%20out. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on eke out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!