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

Admire Daytona earned his way into the race by winning the UAE Derby in Dubai, eking out a nose win in a race that carries Kentucky Derby qualifying points. —Teresa Genaro, New York Times, 2 May 2025

Chicago Tribune Trump manages to eke out a net positive rating among voters on border security (55%), but on immigration voters disapprove at a rate of 48%-47%. —Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025

Construction worker Mohamed had temporarily switched to eking out a living from nearby salt flats, because no building projects were launched with warplanes in the sky. —Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2025

If Southampton fail to eke out a point on Saturday in the clash of the doomed, things look decidedly bleak. —Tom Burrows, New York Times, 3 May 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