live off
verb
lived off; living off; lives off
: to use (something or someone) as the main source of what one needs to survive (such as money or food)
… the indigenous … people, who have inhabited the rain forest of Irian Jaya, living off the land, for thousands of years.—
Eyal Press
Eyal Press… the fish goes into a kind of hibernation, living off its reserves of fat …—Mark Carwardine
Mark Carwardine… she is one of the few Iditarod competitors who have turned professional, living off race winnings.—National Wildlife
National Wildlife… a growing subculture of people who have reduced their spending habits and live off consumer waste.—Erika Hayasaki
Erika HayasakiMax lives off his father …—Harold Beaver
Harold BeaverExamples of live off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Annual snapshots lump graduate students with retirees living off savings, making income and wealth gaps appear wider than lifetime consumption gaps.
—Daniel Waldenstrom, Foreign Affairs, 19 May 2025
Dan Courtney, who lives off Torrey Pines Road in La Jolla Shores, is seeking a permit for a lot line adjustment on his property to convert three parcels into four.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2025
For instance, Brown mentions how authors typically live off advances and royalty payments from publishers, as do songwriters, albeit one is publishing books and the other songs.
—William Jones, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Charlie encounters these former child actors now living in various states of desperation, from struggling Etsy artist/caregiver Amber to DJ Bebe to college professor Cece to orchard manager Delia — and a surprise fifth sister, Felicity, living off the grid as a successful mixed-media artist.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for live off
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Daniel Waldenstrom, Foreign Affairs, 19 May 2025
Dan Courtney, who lives off Torrey Pines Road in La Jolla Shores, is seeking a permit for a lot line adjustment on his property to convert three parcels into four.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2025
For instance, Brown mentions how authors typically live off advances and royalty payments from publishers, as do songwriters, albeit one is publishing books and the other songs.
—William Jones, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Charlie encounters these former child actors now living in various states of desperation, from struggling Etsy artist/caregiver Amber to DJ Bebe to college professor Cece to orchard manager Delia — and a surprise fifth sister, Felicity, living off the grid as a successful mixed-media artist.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for live off
Cite this Entry
“Live off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20off. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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