scrape by
phrasal verb
scraped by; scraping by; scrapes by
1
: to live with barely enough money : to be able to buy only the things most needed
Money was tight, but we somehow managed to scrape by.
2
: to succeed at doing something but just barely
He didn't study for the exam and just barely scraped by.
Examples of scrape by in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The show scraped by for three seasons before being cancelled.
—
Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
Each time, the country manages to scrape by, finding more money to help people who need it.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2024
While Scholz will be breathing some small sigh of relief, a closer look at the voter demographics of the Brandenburg election suggest the SPD were very lucky indeed to scrape by.
—Frey Lindsay, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
But while major, chronic household costs continue to squeeze millions of families — especially those scraping by on lower incomes — President-elect Donald Trump is inheriting a robust overall economy fueled by consumers who keep on spending.
—J.j. McCorvey, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scrape by 
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Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
Each time, the country manages to scrape by, finding more money to help people who need it.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2024
While Scholz will be breathing some small sigh of relief, a closer look at the voter demographics of the Brandenburg election suggest the SPD were very lucky indeed to scrape by.
—Frey Lindsay, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
But while major, chronic household costs continue to squeeze millions of families — especially those scraping by on lower incomes — President-elect Donald Trump is inheriting a robust overall economy fueled by consumers who keep on spending.
—J.j. McCorvey, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scrape by
Dictionary Entries Near scrape by
Cite this Entry
“Scrape by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrape%20by. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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