earn a living
idiom
: to earn the money needed for food, clothing, etc.
She's just trying to earn a living.
Examples of earn a living in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To earn a living, Bridgeman’s father worked multiple jobs, including as a steelworker, along with side jobs cleaning local bars and washing the windows.
—
Jabari Young, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2025
Editors’ Picks Connecting With Nature to Celebrate Black History Month
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To earn a living, Holiday auditioned as a dancer at a speakeasy on West 133rd Street.
—Josh Ocampo, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2025
Maria left her home country 18 years ago, leaving her then-infant son with extended family to earn a living doing farm work in the U.S.
—Morgan Radford, NBC News, 18 Dec. 2024
Planning your next steps As engineers and technologists, our work is not just a means to earn a living but also a source of fulfillment, social connections, and intellectual challenge.
—Gus Gaynor, IEEE Spectrum, 12 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earn a living
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Jabari Young, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2025
Editors’ Picks Connecting With Nature to Celebrate Black History Month
Image
To earn a living, Holiday auditioned as a dancer at a speakeasy on West 133rd Street.
—Josh Ocampo, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2025
Maria left her home country 18 years ago, leaving her then-infant son with extended family to earn a living doing farm work in the U.S.
—Morgan Radford, NBC News, 18 Dec. 2024
Planning your next steps As engineers and technologists, our work is not just a means to earn a living but also a source of fulfillment, social connections, and intellectual challenge.
—Gus Gaynor, IEEE Spectrum, 12 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earn a living
Cite this Entry
“Earn a living.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earn%20a%20living. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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