scratch by

English

Etymology

scratch +‎ by.

Pronunciation

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Verb

scratch by (third-person singular simple present scratches by, present participle scratching by, simple past and past participle scratched by)

1. (idiomatic) To get by; make ends meet
   • 2017, Elizabeth Warren, This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America's Middle Class:

     It all works great for Walmart or the food-service company, but for people like Gina and her friend Nicole, it means they can barely scratch by.

Synonyms

• scrape by