scrape by

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
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.
Timid personal injury lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte) scrapes by on quick, low-stakes payouts, Acme tossing his clients a couple hundred bucks for their fast-healing wounds. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The front office was active as the Yankees’ offense was just scraping by against the Chicago Cubs, ahead 2-0 in the ninth inning at Wrigley Field after solo home runs from Amed Rosario and Spencer Jones. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 And while billionaires and millionaires are watching their bank accounts surge thanks to appreciating assets, others are scraping by to make ends meet. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 July 2026 La Albiceleste seemed to barely escape early bouts with Cape Verde and Switzerland, scraping by in extra time. — Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for scrape by

Rhymes for scrape by

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Browse Nearby Words

scrape bottom
scrape by
scrape down
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrape by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrape%20by. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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