scrape by

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.

Jobs outside of the farm are common in rural areas, and they’ve become increasingly important for farmers needing to scrape by in tough times.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

That’s still too pricey for most in a country where millions scrape by on sporadic income from street vending, domestic work, construction and other iterations of the informal economy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

"I was able to scrape by a lot easier in years before," said Ms Hunt, who voted for Kamala Harris.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025

James was a stalwart patriarch of a working-class family on the Chicago's South Side struggling to scrape by, earning what he could by juggling part-time work.

From Salon • Oct. 1, 2024

But once she understood there was no turning back, our mother went to laying out in the spare bedroom all the worldly things she thought we’d need in the Congo just to scrape by.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver