scratch by en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
From scratch + by.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) To get by; to make ends meet.
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.
2017, Elizabeth Warren, This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America's Middle Class:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| scratched by | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| scratched by | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| scratching by | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| scratches by | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |