hand-to-mouth
adjective
ˈhan(d)-tə-ˈmau̇th 
ˈhan-də-
: having or providing nothing to spare beyond basic necessities
a hand-to-mouth existence
hand to mouth
adverb
Examples of hand-to-mouth in a Sentence
survived on a hand-to-mouth income that came from any odd job that he could find
Recent Examples on the Web
That ecstatic communal experience is a glorious moment of freedom for oppressed people, most of them living hand-to-mouth in an environment of hatred and exploitation.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Both dropped out of college and essentially lived hand-to-mouth in order to pursue their musical dreams.
—Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025
Worse, the company is living hand-to-mouth because of the minuscule revenues, large negative earnings, and high cash outflow.
—John S. Tobey, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
The brand recommends using them in tandem with NRTs to satiate the hand-to-mouth habit of vaping.
—Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
Teach your children how to avoid hand-to-mouth behaviors.
—Steffini Stalos, Verywell Health, 3 Oct. 2024
Both dropped out of college and essentially lived hand-to-mouth in order to pursue their musical dreams.
—Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025
Based on the real fundamentals, the stock price would be in the low, single digits - just a fraction of its current price.
Worse, the company is living hand-to-mouth because of the minuscule revenues, large negative earnings, and high cash outflow.
—John S. Tobey, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
The brand recommends using them in tandem with NRTs to satiate the hand-to-mouth habit of vaping.
—Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
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David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Both dropped out of college and essentially lived hand-to-mouth in order to pursue their musical dreams.
—Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025
Worse, the company is living hand-to-mouth because of the minuscule revenues, large negative earnings, and high cash outflow.
—John S. Tobey, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
The brand recommends using them in tandem with NRTs to satiate the hand-to-mouth habit of vaping.
—Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
Teach your children how to avoid hand-to-mouth behaviors.
—Steffini Stalos, Verywell Health, 3 Oct. 2024
Both dropped out of college and essentially lived hand-to-mouth in order to pursue their musical dreams.
—Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025
Based on the real fundamentals, the stock price would be in the low, single digits - just a fraction of its current price.
Worse, the company is living hand-to-mouth because of the minuscule revenues, large negative earnings, and high cash outflow.
—John S. Tobey, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
The brand recommends using them in tandem with NRTs to satiate the hand-to-mouth habit of vaping.
—Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Hand-to-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand-to-mouth. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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