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

They were given scant information, but what Mitchell-Gutzmer eked out of a woman who answered the phone offered some hope. —USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026

The truth is that eking out an exacting vision on your own can feel as much like suffering as fulfillment. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026

Beijing considers Taiwan to be Chinese territory, while Washington, despite its lack of formal ties with Taiwan, is the island’s strongest partner and has vowed to help Taiwan keep its formal allies, seen as necessary for the island to eke out a legitimate space on the global stage. —ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026

Paxton consistently led Cornyn in polls leading up to the primary, but Cornyn eked out a top-place finish, albeit not a resounding-enough victory to avoid a runoff. —Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 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