To eke out means to obtain or achieve something with great difficulty, using every bit of effort and resource available. When a farmer ekes out a living from poor soil, she works incredibly hard to grow just enough crops to survive. When a soccer team ekes out a victory by scoring in the final seconds, they barely win, scraping together just enough goals to succeed.

The phrase suggests struggle and scarcity. You don't eke out something that comes easily. A student might eke out a passing grade by studying desperately before the final exam, using every last bit of knowledge to reach that critical threshold. A family might eke out an existence during hard times, carefully stretching every dollar and resource.

We often say someone ekes out their supplies by making them last as long as possible. When pioneers eked out their food stores through a harsh winter, they rationed carefully, making small portions stretch further than seemed possible. The phrase captures that sense of barely having enough, of succeeding through determination when circumstances make success seem almost impossible.