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 raising her son as a single mom in Kansas and scraping by on Depression-era tips as a waitress, Burke met Billy Wolfe, played by Josh Lucas.
—
A Martínez, NPR, 7 Mar. 2025
Like De Fontenay’s debut feature Mobile Homes, which followed an impoverished family scraping by in upstate New York, Sukkwan Island has a powerful immersive quality that makes up for some of its dramatic shortcomings, especially dialogue that can feel either stilted or too on-the-nose.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2025
The family would save up enough money working in the fields to scrape by during the off-season.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 7 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for scrape by
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A Martínez, NPR, 7 Mar. 2025
Like De Fontenay’s debut feature Mobile Homes, which followed an impoverished family scraping by in upstate New York, Sukkwan Island has a powerful immersive quality that makes up for some of its dramatic shortcomings, especially dialogue that can feel either stilted or too on-the-nose.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2025
The family would save up enough money working in the fields to scrape by during the off-season.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 7 Jan. 2025
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
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 21 Mar. 2025.
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