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.
Though Purdue never seriously threatened after getting stuffed on fourth down to open the fourth quarter, the Wolverines still seemed a bit nonchalant about eking out a win against a team at the bottom of the standings. Austin Meek, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025 This is why OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta are willing to spend as much as possible, as rapidly as possible, to eke out the tiniest advantage. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025 His La Libertad Avanza party earned roughly 9 points more than the left-leaning Peronist opposition, and also eked out a victory in the powerful province of Buenos Aires, where Peronists usually dominate. NPR, 27 Oct. 2025 Former President Joe Biden carried the state by more than 7 points in 2020, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton eked out a win in New Hampshire by less than half a percentage point in 2016. Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 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 9 Nov. 2025.

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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