live hand to mouth
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Increasingly, people live hand to mouth, buying a tomato here, a few onions there as they manage to scrape together enough bolivars for just the basics.
From Barron's • Nov. 14, 2025
And for daily labourers who live hand to mouth, it is just as bad.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2023
It hit the poor, many of whom live hand to mouth, particularly hard.
From Washington Post • Apr. 7, 2022
Bathrooms are overcrowded, living conditions are austere, and inhabitants live hand to mouth – but it is a functioning shelter.
From The Guardian • Feb. 19, 2018
Children, especially under age 3, live hand to mouth in the most literal way.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 9, 2014