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

And possibly for the producers to eke out a tiny last morsel of conflict to fill another episode. —Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 20 May 2024

Wild barely eked out a victory against her Republican opponent, Lisa Scheller, in 2022. —Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024

At this time two years ago, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson was getting some of the worst polling numbers of his career but still eked out a 1-point win. —Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2024

Follow Election 2024 Other Republicans facing tough primaries this year have eked out victories, and Good could win tonight. —Leigh Ann Caldwell, Washington Post, 18 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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