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.
"Most farmers are not wealthy land barons; they live hand to mouth on tiny and sometimes non-existent profit margins."
From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025
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
It hit the poor, many of whom live hand to mouth, particularly hard.
From Washington Post • Apr. 7, 2022
There are fears that lockdowns will bring significant hardship for the continent’s poor, many of whom live hand to mouth without formal employment.
From The Guardian • Mar. 25, 2020
Children, especially under age 3, live hand to mouth in the most literal way.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 9, 2014
