scrape by
phrasal verb
scraped by; scraping by; scrapes by
1
: to live with barely enough money : to be able to buy only the things most needed
Money was tight, but we somehow managed to scrape by.
2
: to succeed at doing something but just barely
He didn't study for the exam and just barely scraped by.
Examples of scrape by in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While the Duttons are just barely scraping by, the smug evil-doer is enjoying a warm bath in his mansion.
—
Matt Cabral, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2025
The nonprofit not only provides food, clothing, showers and services for hundreds of homeless folks, but also rent assistance for working families just scraping by and on the verge of homelessness.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025
That an independently wealthy painter who graduated from an elite university is having their work scraped by a data harvesting model?
—Oskar Oprey, Artforum, 28 Jan. 2025
The area is forecast to scrape by with overnight lows near 1 degree.
—Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrape by
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Matt Cabral, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2025
The nonprofit not only provides food, clothing, showers and services for hundreds of homeless folks, but also rent assistance for working families just scraping by and on the verge of homelessness.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025
That an independently wealthy painter who graduated from an elite university is having their work scraped by a data harvesting model?
—Oskar Oprey, Artforum, 28 Jan. 2025
The area is forecast to scrape by with overnight lows near 1 degree.
—Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrape by
Cite this Entry
“Scrape by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrape%20by. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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