live off
verb
lived off; living off; lives off
: to use (something or someone) as the main source of what one needs to survive (such as money or food)
… the indigenous … people, who have inhabited the rain forest of Irian Jaya, living off the land, for thousands of years.—
Eyal Press
Eyal Press… the fish goes into a kind of hibernation, living off its reserves of fat …—Mark Carwardine
Mark Carwardine… she is one of the few Iditarod competitors who have turned professional, living off race winnings.—National Wildlife
National Wildlife… a growing subculture of people who have reduced their spending habits and live off consumer waste.—Erika Hayasaki
Erika HayasakiMax lives off his father …—Harold Beaver
Harold BeaverExamples of live off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
TCUs also generally have minimal overhead costs, since most students live off-campus and only a handful of these colleges and universities offer on-campus housing.
—Cynthia Lindquist, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025
His childhood was largely in flux, living off food stamps, playing in the woods, and being tossed between the supervision of his mother and the cult’s other members.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025
Michael Heaton, 76, takes care of his 31-year-old son, who has autism; the two live off Heaton’s Social Security and his son’s disability payments.
—ProPublica, 3 Oct. 2025
When Jem locates his brother, Ray has been living off the grid for 20 years, having fled the family nest.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live off
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Cynthia Lindquist, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025
His childhood was largely in flux, living off food stamps, playing in the woods, and being tossed between the supervision of his mother and the cult’s other members.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025
Michael Heaton, 76, takes care of his 31-year-old son, who has autism; the two live off Heaton’s Social Security and his son’s disability payments.
—ProPublica, 3 Oct. 2025
When Jem locates his brother, Ray has been living off the grid for 20 years, having fled the family nest.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live off
Cite this Entry
“Live off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20off. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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