subsist on

phrasal verb

subsisted on; subsisting on; subsists on
: to use (something) as a way to stay alive : to live on (something)
poor people subsisting on just one or two dollars a day
The villagers subsist almost entirely on rice and fish.
(humorous) My brother subsists on pizza.

Examples of subsist on in a Sentence

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.
The entire inmate population subsists on the same meal, laid out across a single table that arrives on a descending platform once a day, stopping at each floor for a few minutes. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2024 Was an ancient reptile, for all intents and purposes a 15-million-year-old dinosaur, actually roaming this expanse of creosote scrub, subsisting on beavertail cactus flesh, going about her day ignorant of the weather alerts, the headlines, the untold human tragedies? Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2024 Promoters of the carnivore diet argue that our ancestors subsisted on animals almost exclusively. Steven Kurutz Steven Kurutz, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2024 In the span of a few short months, Disney — the Hollywood studio designed more than any other to subsist on franchises — once again is dominating its rivals after losing its No. 1 standing to Universal last year in a stunning fall from grace. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for subsist on 

Dictionary Entries Near subsist on

Cite this Entry

“Subsist on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsist%20on. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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!