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.
President Donald Trump eked out a narrow win to achieve his most significant legislative victory since returning to the White House with the Senate giving a thumbs up July 1 to his sweeping mega-bill. Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 2 July 2025 The measure eked out a victory in the Senate, but only after Vice President JD Vance stepped in to cast a tiebreaking vote after three Republican senators—Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine—broke ranks and voted it down. Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025 Republicans eked out a key procedural win late Saturday, with just two GOP senators — Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky — voting against a motion to advance the bill. Erin Doherty, CNBC, 30 June 2025 Bitdefender clearly won the latter, but Norton eked out a win in the former. Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 June 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 8 Jul. 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
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