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

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

Even Dorit managed to eke out a years late apology to Garcelle. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025

As with many other areas of policy, California was able to eke out these easy victories by persuading courts that the Trump administration had rushed rules through without explaining their rationale, providing sufficient evidence or giving the public the opportunity to weigh in. —Calmatters, The Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2025

Duke will have to eke out a win in at least one of those road environments to feel better about its chances on a neutral court in March. —Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 20 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