HAND-TO-MOUTH Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

hand-to-mouth

adjective

ˈhan(d)-tə-ˈmau̇th

Definition of hand-to-mouth

as in sparse

less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable survived on a hand-to-mouth income that came from any odd job that he could find

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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.

Recent Examples of hand-to-mouth At the start of The Big Fake, a Netflix dramatization of one criminal’s involvement in the most tumultuous events in post-war Italy, Toni Chichiarelli (Pietro Castellitto) is a talented painter living hand-to-mouth as a portrait artist on the streets of Rome. — Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 2026 The occupants of this Neolithic housing development were not hand-to-mouth hunter-gatherers but settled inhabitants of a fertile floodplain. — Literary Hub, 26 Jan. 2026 The film is not blind to how easily big dreams can be derailed, especially for the hand-to-mouth creative class in a Midwestern outpost. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026 While their musician patriarch is on the road, the eldest sibling has become the clear-eyed voice of discipline in the household who struggles with the strain of their hand-to-mouth life. — Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hand-to-mouth

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-to-mouth

Adjective

Rain in the Valley will be sparse and light, with most areas seeing less than a tenth of an inch through Friday.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Polling is sparse, but Hamilton has narrowly led several polls released over the past month.

— Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of sparse

Adjective

The scarce resource today is a person willing to stand behind what a test claims to prove.

— Jay Singh, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
The conventional seed sector is dominated by hybrid and GMO cotton varieties, making certified organic and non-GMO seed scarce and difficult to obtain.

— Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of scarce

Adjective

Measles usually kills two or three people in every 1,000 cases, the WHO says, but the disease can be more deadly in poorer nations because of factors such as malnutrition.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
That receiver sends that poor defender into next week at the pylon.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of poor

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hand-to-hand

hand-to-mouth

hand truck

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“Hand-to-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-to-mouth. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hand-to-mouth

adjective

Example Sentences

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