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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Mac computers eked out a 1.3% increase in sales to $7.7 billion, while iPad sales grew by 7.8% to $6.9 billion. Kali Hays, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024 In 2022, when the other successful party compatriots won at least 60% of the voter, Zuckerman eked out 51.41%. USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024 Brazil's ruling Workers' Party barely eked out a victory in two of 15 second-round mayoral races on Sunday. Russell Contreras, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024 The tech-heavy index also eked out a gain for the week, extending its weekly winning streak to seven in a row. Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for eke out 

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of eke out was in 1596

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 14 Nov. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on eke out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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