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

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

Sunday’s finale will bookend a season that started with the 49ers in Seattle, eking out a 17-13 victory over the Seahawks as a late Brock Purdy touchdown to Jake Tonges earned them their first win of the season. —Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025

In another test between a progressive Democrat and a MAGA Republican, the Democrat eked out a 1-point win. —Julia Mueller, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2025

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