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 there’s space for OBAA’s Teyana Taylor, or a dark-horse candidate like Sentimental Value’s Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas to eke out a win. Vulture Editors, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026 Rivera eked out a razor-thin victory over Camilo in that race, which was marked by bitterness, with the two candidates accusing each other of being carpetbaggers who didn’t actually reside in his Senate district spanning north Bronx neighborhoods like Fordham, Belmont and Riverdale. Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026 But the Shibutanis had been away the longest, and although ice dancers can sometimes eke out a few more years than other figure skaters, no ice-dance team has left competition for so much time before returning to contend at the elite level. Alice Park, Time, 5 Jan. 2026 Stocks eked out small gains on Wall Street Friday in a wobbly day of trading to kick off the new year. Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026 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 25 Jan. 2026.

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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