scrape by

VERB

manage

Synonyms

STRONG

cope endure fare last muddle shift stagger

WEAK

bear up carry on get along get on make do make out

Antonyms

WEAK

bumble fail mismanage

VERB

subsist

Synonyms

STRONGEST

get along get by

STRONG

be breathe continue endure exist last live manage move remain survive sustain

WEAK

barely exist eke out a living eke out an existence hang in hang on hang tough just make it make ends meet make it remain alive ride out stay alive stick it out stick with it

Antonyms

STRONG

cease depart die discontinue halt stop

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.

"I work in retail," Aline tells us, "you barely scrape by."

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

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

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

You can’t just scrape by on almost nothing and hope it works out at the end of the month.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2023

It didn’t make me as brave as old Daniel, but it always gave me at least a little hope the Lord would let me scrape by.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

scrape by

Example Sentences

Related Words