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

Is there a Kristol-like figure who would be able to prevail over the splits in the Republican Party, to eke out a plurality in the Republican primary and then appeal to people who are not Republicans? —Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2026

Originally a West End production in 1973, The Rocky Horror Show eked out a brief Broadway stint in 1975, the same year the incalculably influential cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show came out. —Joe Lynch, Billboard, 24 Mar. 2026

The story follows Yuta, an undocumented Filipino immigrant eking out an existence on the fringes of Japanese society. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026

Creators Christy Karacas, Stephen Warbrick, and Ben Gruber eke out delightful character work along the way, like when Jared, bruised by the warden’s disdain for his pitches to improve the prison, takes over for an episode by pulling a Weekend at Bernie’s after the warden hits his head. —Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 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