eke out
verb
eked out; eking out; ekes out
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
But Johnson, who has presided over the chamber since fall 2023, eked out a win.
—
Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025
Maintenance and environmental stewardship will usually fall by the wayside as companies eke out a profit.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2024
However, the company’s growth has come from its 280-store Nordstrom Rack chain, up 11% this year, while its luxury flagship stores have languished, eking out a 1% uptick in the first three quarters.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
The villagers eked out crops of garlic and peppers on the terraced mountainside, and the settlement was very windy and often covered in dust.
—Lee Chang-Dong, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for eke out 
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Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025
Maintenance and environmental stewardship will usually fall by the wayside as companies eke out a profit.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2024
However, the company’s growth has come from its 280-store Nordstrom Rack chain, up 11% this year, while its luxury flagship stores have languished, eking out a 1% uptick in the first three quarters.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
The villagers eked out crops of garlic and peppers on the terraced mountainside, and the settlement was very windy and often covered in dust.
—Lee Chang-Dong, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for eke out
Dictionary Entries Near eke out
Cite this Entry
“Eke out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eke%20out. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
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