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

By that time, the car eked out 30 hp from its 1,200 cc engine. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025

The crowded field of candidates for City Council at-large and District 7 races slimmed down following Tuesday’s preliminary municipal election, with unofficial city tallies showing at-large incumbents handily holding onto their spots and two District 7 eking out narrow victories. —Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers took a victory lap on Sunday after the team eked out a win over the New York Jets, 34-32. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Spencer Platt | Getty Images With capital harder to come by, private equity giants and investment banks are waging a global battle for talent as dealmaking activity ekes out a recovery. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 Sep. 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