subsist on

verb

subsisted on; subsisting on; subsists on

: to use (something) as a way to stay alive : to live on (something)

poor people subsisting on just one or two dollars a day

The villagers subsist almost entirely on rice and fish.

(humorous) My brother subsists on pizza.

Examples of subsist on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For decades, these countries have subsisted on a lean diet of foreign aid from major donor governments and the United Nations, the World Bank, and other multilateral institutions. — Eghosa E. Osaghae, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2026

Jason is out of work as an engineer and subsisting on being a fisherman. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026

Native communities—who had been eating fresh, seasonal foods long before farmers’ markets were a thing—were now forced to stand in line for military rations, subsisting on commodity foods like white flour, sugar, and blocks of orange cheese. — Literary Hub, 20 July 2026

Many birds subsist on bugs, including grubs, earthworms, and flying insects. — The Spruce, 5 July 2026

Rhymes for subsist on

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon
• epsilon