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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.

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

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

Some parents scrape by on a lot less, though.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 14, 2023

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

scrape by

Example Sentences

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