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
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The case study that best articulates this is the relationship and politics between AI firms and those who make a living from their creative intellectual property and, therefore, wish to continue to do so.
—
Shain Shapiro, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
The app is used by about 170 million Americans to find news, entertainment, community and, in some cases, to make a living.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 30 June 2025
The artists need to make a living and the theater has never been a place to get rich.
—Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
In late February of 2020, shortly before the pandemic shut down just about every avenue for an independent country singer to make a living, Angel White was already living in a vacant hotel, playing underground shows with theme nights.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2025
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Shain Shapiro, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
The app is used by about 170 million Americans to find news, entertainment, community and, in some cases, to make a living.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 30 June 2025
The artists need to make a living and the theater has never been a place to get rich.
—Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
In late February of 2020, shortly before the pandemic shut down just about every avenue for an independent country singer to make a living, Angel White was already living in a vacant hotel, playing underground shows with theme nights.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 14 June 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 10 Jul. 2025.
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