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
At the start of The Big Fake, a Netflix dramatization of one criminal’s involvement in the most tumultuous events in post-war Italy, Toni Chichiarelli (Pietro Castellitto) is a talented painter living hand-to-mouth as a portrait artist on the streets of Rome.
—
Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
The occupants of this Neolithic housing development were not hand-to-mouth hunter-gatherers but settled inhabitants of a fertile floodplain.
—Literary Hub, 26 Jan. 2026
The film is not blind to how easily big dreams can be derailed, especially for the hand-to-mouth creative class in a Midwestern outpost.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
While their musician patriarch is on the road, the eldest sibling has become the clear-eyed voice of discipline in the household who struggles with the strain of their hand-to-mouth life.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025
Adams was already familiar with the hand-to-mouth preparation for matches, having taken charge in April 1999.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2025
Still, most of Yopougon’s residents work informally and live hand-to-mouth.
—Adrien Marotte, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Oct. 2025
Ever since then, the Ekdals have lived hand-to-mouth, bolstered by Håkon’s charity.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2025
At the center of the story is a jazz musician called Y, a bohemian, artsy type who is fed up with his hand-to-mouth existence and so agrees to a lucrative commission, writing an upbeat song to inspire national pride in the wake of the Hamas terror attacks that took place on October 7, 2023.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 July 2025
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Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
The occupants of this Neolithic housing development were not hand-to-mouth hunter-gatherers but settled inhabitants of a fertile floodplain.
—Literary Hub, 26 Jan. 2026
The film is not blind to how easily big dreams can be derailed, especially for the hand-to-mouth creative class in a Midwestern outpost.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
While their musician patriarch is on the road, the eldest sibling has become the clear-eyed voice of discipline in the household who struggles with the strain of their hand-to-mouth life.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025
Adams was already familiar with the hand-to-mouth preparation for matches, having taken charge in April 1999.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2025
Still, most of Yopougon’s residents work informally and live hand-to-mouth.
—Adrien Marotte, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Oct. 2025
Ever since then, the Ekdals have lived hand-to-mouth, bolstered by Håkon’s charity.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2025
At the center of the story is a jazz musician called Y, a bohemian, artsy type who is fed up with his hand-to-mouth existence and so agrees to a lucrative commission, writing an upbeat song to inspire national pride in the wake of the Hamas terror attacks that took place on October 7, 2023.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-to-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand-to-mouth. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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