make ends meet

phrase

Synonyms of make ends meetnext
: to make one's means adequate to one's needs
did all they could do to make ends meet

Examples of make ends meet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Most of the time the couple has to borrow money from friends or sell some of their belongings to make ends meet. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026 Masala y Maíz, co-founded by chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval in 2017, has been hosting such pay-what-you-can events since 2020, when many people were struggling to make ends meet and many restaurants were closing. — Whitney Eulich, Christian Science Monitor, 29 Aug. 2026 Lee was a sharecropper who sometimes worked construction jobs to make ends meet, and Avie was a homemaker. — Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 Just as many people can’t afford to have someone else clean their homes, landscape their yards or nanny their kids, those struggling to make ends meet may need to lean on AI assistance. — Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for make ends meet

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of make ends meet was in 1815

Rhymes for make ends meet

See All Rhymes for make ends meet

Browse Nearby Words

make-down
make ends meet
make every effort
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Make ends meet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20ends%20meet. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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