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

To scrape by, he has turned to selling off his possessions on an internet auction site and accepting a loan from a friend.

From BBC • Nov. 18, 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

Pearl had always been aware of money—in their circumstances, how could she not?—but she had never before contemplated what it must have been like for her mother with an infant, trying to scrape by.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng