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
Juggling school work and a side job as a young single mother, Kelly Cook barely scraped by before rising to executive positions at DSW, Kmart and Pier 1 Imports, and helming the popular American bridal chain this April.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 June 2025
Be wary of sharing health details on social media or in public forums, as these can be scraped by data brokers.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
With a steady rain falling on Acapulco, residents and remaining tourists emerged to walk outside or visit businesses opening gradually as the remnants of Hurricane Erick scraped by just inland of the resort.
—Luis Alberto Cruz, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
In the Eaton burn scar, in the areas scraped by federal cleanup crews, around 27% of the Roux soil samples still had lead levels above California’s state standards for residential properties (80 milligram per kilogram).
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
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Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 June 2025
Be wary of sharing health details on social media or in public forums, as these can be scraped by data brokers.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
With a steady rain falling on Acapulco, residents and remaining tourists emerged to walk outside or visit businesses opening gradually as the remnants of Hurricane Erick scraped by just inland of the resort.
—Luis Alberto Cruz, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
In the Eaton burn scar, in the areas scraped by federal cleanup crews, around 27% of the Roux soil samples still had lead levels above California’s state standards for residential properties (80 milligram per kilogram).
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrape by
Cite this Entry
“Scrape by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://x0upouf933.proxynodejs.usequeue.com/dictionary/scrape%20by. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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