as in sparse
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
survived on a hand-to-mouth income that came from any odd job that he could find
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Recent Examples of hand-to-mouth
In leading the study, Rogers tested 30 braiding hair products across human, plant-based, and synthetic categories, including brands people specifically asked him to evaluate, like Gyal and Rebundle, using a hand-to-mouth risk assessment.
—
Essence, 1 Apr. 2026
At the start of The Big Fake, a Netflix dramatization of one criminal’s involvement in the most tumultuous events in post-war Italy, Toni Chichiarelli (Pietro Castellitto) is a talented painter living hand-to-mouth as a portrait artist on the streets of Rome.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
The occupants of this Neolithic housing development were not hand-to-mouth hunter-gatherers but settled inhabitants of a fertile floodplain.
—Literary Hub, 26 Jan. 2026
The film is not blind to how easily big dreams can be derailed, especially for the hand-to-mouth creative class in a Midwestern outpost.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
While their musician patriarch is on the road, the eldest sibling has become the clear-eyed voice of discipline in the household who struggles with the strain of their hand-to-mouth life.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025
Adams was already familiar with the hand-to-mouth preparation for matches, having taken charge in April 1999.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2025
Still, most of Yopougon’s residents work informally and live hand-to-mouth.
—Adrien Marotte, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Oct. 2025
Ever since then, the Ekdals have lived hand-to-mouth, bolstered by Håkon’s charity.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2025
Essence, 1 Apr. 2026
At the start of The Big Fake, a Netflix dramatization of one criminal’s involvement in the most tumultuous events in post-war Italy, Toni Chichiarelli (Pietro Castellitto) is a talented painter living hand-to-mouth as a portrait artist on the streets of Rome.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
The occupants of this Neolithic housing development were not hand-to-mouth hunter-gatherers but settled inhabitants of a fertile floodplain.
—Literary Hub, 26 Jan. 2026
The film is not blind to how easily big dreams can be derailed, especially for the hand-to-mouth creative class in a Midwestern outpost.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
While their musician patriarch is on the road, the eldest sibling has become the clear-eyed voice of discipline in the household who struggles with the strain of their hand-to-mouth life.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025
Adams was already familiar with the hand-to-mouth preparation for matches, having taken charge in April 1999.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2025
Still, most of Yopougon’s residents work informally and live hand-to-mouth.
—Adrien Marotte, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Oct. 2025
Ever since then, the Ekdals have lived hand-to-mouth, bolstered by Håkon’s charity.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-to-mouth
Adjective
-
Mexican authorities published pictures in which Balla -- wearing a shirt with a palm tree pattern and sporting a sparse beard -- appears to be escorted by police and security forces.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Lindsay Olson, the founder of Lulu Designs, explains how treating the outdoors as a room prevents a space from looking sparse.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
European and Asian allies, cut out of decision-making before the war began, have been left competing with one another for scarce energy deliveries, with some turning to America's adversaries for supplies.—
Eyck Freymann,
Time,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Since this is a scarce resource, most NICUs reserve it for the smallest preterm newborns and cannot provide it throughout an infant’s entire hospital stay.—
Alexander Crider,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Braves couldn’t overcome a poor start from Reynaldo López and saw their six-game winning streak fall by the wayside in an 11-4 loss to the Nationals on Tuesday at Nationals Park.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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In the days leading up to his fatal overdose, Prince was in poor health and was forced to cancel shows in Atlanta.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand-to-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-to-mouth. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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