eke out

verb

eked out; eking out; ekes out

transitive verb

1

: to make up for the deficiencies of : supplement

eked out his income by getting a second job

2

: to make (a supply) last by economy

Examples of eke out in a Sentence

eked out a living from the family's small farm

Recent Examples on the Web

Republican Tricia Cotham eked out a victory against Democrat Nicole Sidman by a few hundred votes, thanks in part to strong support around Mint Hill, data show. —Gavin Off and, Charlotte Observer, 18 Feb. 2025

In fact, even with Valančiūnas appearing in all of Washington’s games, Washington still eked out only an 8-41 record, by far the worst record in the league. —The Athletic Nba Staff, The Athletic, 5 Feb. 2025

Data released last Thursday showed the euro zone’s economy flatlined in the fourth quarter, while the EU eked out 0.1% growth in the same period, from the previous quarter. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025

Stanley, developed by the Stanford Racing Team, eked out a first-place win to claim the $2 million purse. —IEEE Spectrum, 1 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for eke out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout

Kids Definition

eke out

verb

ˈēk-

1

a

: supplement entry 2

eked out their small income by working for neighbors

b

: to make (a supply) last by careful use

2

: to get with great difficulty

eked out a living from the poor soil of the family's farm