What does "scrape by" mean?

To only afford the essentials; to barely sustain oneself.

What is a synonym for "scrape by"?

Common synonyms include: dutch schrapen, eked, ekes, rub along, scrape along, scratch along.

verb

verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Verb

1
To only afford the essentials; to barely sustain oneself. intransitive
"Everyone in her family had to get a second job just so they could scrape by."
2
manage one's existence barely wordnet

"Everyone in her family had to get a second job just so they could scrape by."

From scrape + by.