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
The Rockies have been living off their back-to-back playoff berths in 2017 and ’18.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 17 July 2025
Kutina defended her decision to live off the grid with her daughters in an interview with India’s ANI news agency, describing a life of swimming in waterfalls, painting and doing pottery.
—Aishwarya S Iyer, CNN Money, 15 July 2025
For thousands of years, Greenland's Inuit people survived the world’s harshest conditions while living off whales, seals, polar bears, fish and caribou.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 6 July 2025
Colby Grey Back in Santa Cruz, Grey lived off campus in a two-bedroom apartment with three other roommates and worked as a study abroad advisor.
—Celia Fernandez, CNBC, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for live off
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Troy Renck, Denver Post, 17 July 2025
Kutina defended her decision to live off the grid with her daughters in an interview with India’s ANI news agency, describing a life of swimming in waterfalls, painting and doing pottery.
—Aishwarya S Iyer, CNN Money, 15 July 2025
For thousands of years, Greenland's Inuit people survived the world’s harshest conditions while living off whales, seals, polar bears, fish and caribou.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 6 July 2025
Colby Grey Back in Santa Cruz, Grey lived off campus in a two-bedroom apartment with three other roommates and worked as a study abroad advisor.
—Celia Fernandez, CNBC, 2 July 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 23 Jul. 2025.
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