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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Wall Street closed Thursday in about the same shape, with the blue-chip Dow managing to eke out a small gain to snap a 10-day losing streak, the longest in 50 years. Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024 However, the Nasdaq eked out a 0.34% gain thanks to its outsized exposure to large technology stocks. Zev Fima, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2024 The Jaguars’ 15 wins is three times as many victories as the lowly Jets and Giants combined have eked out so far this season. Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 14 Dec. 2024 That was 2010 when Rich Ellerson’s squad defeated SMU in the Armed Forces Bowl to eke out a 7-6 campaign. Tom Layberger, Forbes, 11 Dec. 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 25 Dec. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!