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
Pushback from online sellers The rule had sparked significant pushback from online selling platforms such as eBay and Etsy, with some of the companies arguing that the reporting requirement would create confusion and difficulties for sellers who rely on these platforms to make a living.
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Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2023
This is the question that begs an answer throughout this suspenseful novel (which gives a nod to Swift’s Speak Now album song and is due December 2023) about two twin sisters who make a living as professional grifters conning rich men with their charm.
—Jenna Wang, Peoplemag, 12 Nov. 2023
What happens with all of these fields where no one can make a living anymore?
—Jenn Pelly, Pitchfork, 9 Nov. 2023
Think of a small village: around a hundred or two hundred people, who have been living on the land for decades, trying to make a living.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2023
And some of those who make a living in comedy are not holding back on their opinions.
—Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2023
The process has been contentious, with the WGA arguing that the streaming model has threatened the viability of its middle-class writers, leaving many of them unable to make a living due to intermittent and inconsistent work.
—Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 25 Sep. 2023
There are many successful, even award-winning, writers who are finding themselves unable to make a living at the profession anymore.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 24 Sep. 2023
In many corners of New York, the most visible sign of the city’s migrant crisis is on the streets and in the subways, where a surge of newcomers has been hustling to make a living.
—Ana Ley Juan Arredondo, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2023
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Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2023
This is the question that begs an answer throughout this suspenseful novel (which gives a nod to Swift’s Speak Now album song and is due December 2023) about two twin sisters who make a living as professional grifters conning rich men with their charm.
—Jenna Wang, Peoplemag, 12 Nov. 2023
What happens with all of these fields where no one can make a living anymore?
—Jenn Pelly, Pitchfork, 9 Nov. 2023
Think of a small village: around a hundred or two hundred people, who have been living on the land for decades, trying to make a living.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2023
And some of those who make a living in comedy are not holding back on their opinions.
—Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2023
The process has been contentious, with the WGA arguing that the streaming model has threatened the viability of its middle-class writers, leaving many of them unable to make a living due to intermittent and inconsistent work.
—Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 25 Sep. 2023
There are many successful, even award-winning, writers who are finding themselves unable to make a living at the profession anymore.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 24 Sep. 2023
In many corners of New York, the most visible sign of the city’s migrant crisis is on the streets and in the subways, where a surge of newcomers has been hustling to make a living.
—Ana Ley Juan Arredondo, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'make a living.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Make a living.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20a%20living. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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