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
Those issues tend to negatively impact their sense of self-worth along with their ability to get a job and make a living.
—
Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
On top of the volume of work, there are other major challenges in the industry, from the struggle documentarians face to make a living through their work to how key documentary filmmaking is in times of sociopolitical unrest.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025
Someone trying to keep the clicks coming to make a living, or a leader of the repressed?
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Like many other Black citizens, Malvin was not just trying to make a living.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for make a living
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Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
On top of the volume of work, there are other major challenges in the industry, from the struggle documentarians face to make a living through their work to how key documentary filmmaking is in times of sociopolitical unrest.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025
Someone trying to keep the clicks coming to make a living, or a leader of the repressed?
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Like many other Black citizens, Malvin was not just trying to make a living.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 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 3 Dec. 2025.
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