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 indexes dropped from their highs throughout Wednesday’s session, but the S&P 500 managed to eke out a 0.01% gain, ending a four-day streak of losses. —Julie Coleman, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2025

The Chiefs 15-2 record this season is somewhat deceptive, eking out wins, with the team only going 8-9 against the spread, per Covers.com. —Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2025

Our luxurious experience was markedly different from that of the handful of people who, despite the incredibly challenging climate southwestern Tasmania is known for, once managed to eke out a living in this region. —Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2025

Earlier in the season, the Ducks eked out a 32-31 thriller in Eugene, but the Buckeyes turned the tables this time. —Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for eke out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout

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