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

The Warriors eked out a 52-48 victory in the first meeting against Naperville North on Jan. 9, and this game was close for three quarters. —Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025

Thao eked out a victory in the election by just 677 votes. —Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025

The following postseason, the Chiefs eked out a 42-36 overtime victory over the Bills in an instant-classic divisional-round slugfest, during which the lead changed three times in the final two minutes of regulation. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2025

Meanwhile, Halliburton missed on revenue, eked out a small earnings beat and was also more guarded in terms of near-term prospects, Cramer said. —Julie Coleman, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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