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
Even with the entire family working, there’s often not enough money for food and they live hand to mouth on credit from shopkeepers.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 21, 2023
“Nobody in my restaurant can work this week. They live hand to mouth, and I am responsible for them,” she said.
From Washington Post • Aug. 23, 2021
Most of us live hand to mouth: we don't save, we don't invest.
From The Guardian • Jun. 4, 2013
