as in sparse
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
survived on a hand-to-mouth income that came from any odd job that he could find
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of hand-to-mouth
Based on the real fundamentals, the stock price would be in the low, single digits - just a fraction of its current price.
Worse, the company is living hand-to-mouth because of the minuscule revenues, large negative earnings, and high cash outflow.
—
John S. Tobey, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
The brand recommends using them in tandem with NRTs to satiate the hand-to-mouth habit of vaping.
—Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
Teach your children how to avoid hand-to-mouth behaviors.
—Steffini Stalos, Verywell Health, 3 Oct. 2024
The motive can range from adolescent rebellion to adult thrill-seeking to hand-to-mouth poverty.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
Inside the Billion-Dollar Effort to Clean Up the Seine
While many athletes live hand-to-mouth, the IOC enjoys an opulent existence.
—Jules Boykoff, TIME, 8 Aug. 2024
My dad lived very hand-to-mouth, and my mum used to buy a lot through catalogues and got herself into some bad debt.
—R29 Team, refinery29.com, 8 May 2024
The casting Ripley begins with Tom living hand-to-mouth in New York City through small cons until he’s hired to convince wayward shipbuilding heir Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) to leave his extended Italian holiday painting mediocre still lifes and return home to his frustrated family.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 6 June 2024
Tom, a single man, lives a hand-to-mouth existence in New York with a male roommate who is, ahem, a window dresser.
—Mark Harris, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2024
John S. Tobey, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
The brand recommends using them in tandem with NRTs to satiate the hand-to-mouth habit of vaping.
—Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
Teach your children how to avoid hand-to-mouth behaviors.
—Steffini Stalos, Verywell Health, 3 Oct. 2024
The motive can range from adolescent rebellion to adult thrill-seeking to hand-to-mouth poverty.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
Inside the Billion-Dollar Effort to Clean Up the Seine
While many athletes live hand-to-mouth, the IOC enjoys an opulent existence.
—Jules Boykoff, TIME, 8 Aug. 2024
My dad lived very hand-to-mouth, and my mum used to buy a lot through catalogues and got herself into some bad debt.
—R29 Team, refinery29.com, 8 May 2024
The casting Ripley begins with Tom living hand-to-mouth in New York City through small cons until he’s hired to convince wayward shipbuilding heir Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) to leave his extended Italian holiday painting mediocre still lifes and return home to his frustrated family.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 6 June 2024
Tom, a single man, lives a hand-to-mouth existence in New York with a male roommate who is, ahem, a window dresser.
—Mark Harris, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-to-mouth
Adjective
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But the reality was that choices were constrained, communication was sparse and most employees opted for the same plan year after year.Tim Pratte, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
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Except when cellular service is sparse ... Say, in an area that's highly prone to landslides and road blockages, or where passes frequently need to be shut down due to snow in the colder months.New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The area normally can expect 38.4 inches, according to the National Weather Service. Chicago was warmer than average during the 2023-24 season due to a La Niña climate system, which meant snow was scarce.Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2024
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Hotel availability is scarce this winter, and Tiina Määttä, general manager of the 159-room Original Sokos Hotel, expects 2024 to break more records.CNN, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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His role comes a year after a poor performance in his Madison Square Garden debut just eight games into his NBA career: 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and a block.Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 25 Dec. 2024
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As of Tuesday afternoon, a winter weather advisory was in place warning of poor driving conditions in parts of the state.Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near hand-to-mouth
Cite this Entry
“Hand-to-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-to-mouth. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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