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
Rescuers believe Valerie is likely subsisting on roadkill and dam water.
—
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025
The future of Native food production uncertain Before Western contact, Native Hawaiians subsisted on fishing and staple crops like kalo, ‘ulu and ‘uala.
—Jessica MacHado, NBC news, 31 Mar. 2025
Instead, the lack of an operational rocket meant that Relativity has likely been subsisting on little revenue since the decision to go all in on the Terran R nearly two years ago.
—Ars Technica, 7 Jan. 2025
Instead, locals mainly subsist on pintxos — the quicker, punchier Basque equivalent to Spanish tapas — which are downed as part of an everlasting bar crawl.
—Colin Wrenn, The Denver Post, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subsist on
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Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025
The future of Native food production uncertain Before Western contact, Native Hawaiians subsisted on fishing and staple crops like kalo, ‘ulu and ‘uala.
—Jessica MacHado, NBC news, 31 Mar. 2025
Instead, the lack of an operational rocket meant that Relativity has likely been subsisting on little revenue since the decision to go all in on the Terran R nearly two years ago.
—Ars Technica, 7 Jan. 2025
Instead, locals mainly subsist on pintxos — the quicker, punchier Basque equivalent to Spanish tapas — which are downed as part of an everlasting bar crawl.
—Colin Wrenn, The Denver Post, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subsist on
Cite this Entry
“Subsist on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsist%20on. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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