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

The Royals clung to a one-run lead in the eighth inning, the Tigers having eked out just two hits through seven. —Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026

The phantom page is usually a collection of additional content suggestions or a pop-up that tries to eke out a few more clicks from each visitor. —ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2026

Lori, who might be every bit as technically gifted as Julian, ekes out a living serving egg rolls in a food truck while sharing a walk-up loft with three other struggling painters. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026

In that time, shares of the Facebook owner have declined more than 4%, while Alphabet and Amazon have eked out small gains. —Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026

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