make a living
idiom
: to earn the money one needs to pay for housing, food, etc.
He made a living by working as a cook.
Examples of make a living in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tucked into the 940-page bill are a few sentences that prominent poker players and gambling experts say could mean the difference between many players being able to make a living in the industry or not.
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Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 25 July 2025
See you all next week, Dana Even indie directors like Sean Baker and Brady Corbet struggle to make a living.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 21 July 2025
This was especially true for the transatlantic Patriots in this book, including enslaved people who had to hide their politics from their Loyalist enslavers, women who had to make a living in a patriarchal world, and American Patriots living in enemy territory.
—Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Crack users and other felons leave prison for Skid Row with criminal records that rob them of the ability to make a living, qualify for welfare or subsidized housing, contributing to the area’s sudden transformation into a strongly Black enclave.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for make a living
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Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 25 July 2025
See you all next week, Dana Even indie directors like Sean Baker and Brady Corbet struggle to make a living.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 21 July 2025
This was especially true for the transatlantic Patriots in this book, including enslaved people who had to hide their politics from their Loyalist enslavers, women who had to make a living in a patriarchal world, and American Patriots living in enemy territory.
—Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Crack users and other felons leave prison for Skid Row with criminal records that rob them of the ability to make a living, qualify for welfare or subsidized housing, contributing to the area’s sudden transformation into a strongly Black enclave.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for make a living
Cite this Entry
“Make a living.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20a%20living. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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