Synonyms of make ends meet

make ends meet

phrase

as in cope

to meet one's day-to-day needs

The couple's income was just enough to make ends meet each month.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cope
• do
• get on
• survive
• make out
• manage
• get along
• make do
• get by
• make shift
• fare
• shift
• afford
• carry on
• fend for oneself
• eke out
• last
• scrape (by or through)
• contrive
• scrape (out)
• scrounge
• squeeze
• swing
• wring
• wrest

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fail
• fall short
• collapse
• flounder
• decline
• slump
• peter (out)
• give up
• wane
• fizzle

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of make ends meet

Banbury is a traditional farmer who is really about making ends meet. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026

Candidates also sought to address public anxiety over rising energy prices and inflation, as many families, particularly in rural areas, struggle to make ends meet. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

To help make ends meet this season, the farm has turned its attention to other crops, including watermelon, sweet corn and pick-your-own pumpkins. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

But in February, the firefighters, many of whom worked second jobs to make ends meet, unionized. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026