squeak by

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squeak by

She managed to squeak by with a passing grade on the final exam.

Definition

Phrasal Verb: - To barely succeed or manage, especially in a difficult situation: To achieve something by a very narrow margin or with minimal resources. - To narrowly escape or avoid failure: To get through a challenging circumstance with difficulty.

Usage Examples
  • Financial/Resource Context:
    • With careful budgeting, they managed to squeak by on their limited income.
    • The small business is just squeaking by each month.
  • Success/Qualification Context:
    • He studied all night and squeaked by with a passing grade on the exam.
    • The team squeaked by into the playoffs with a last-minute win.
Advanced Usage
  • "squeak by on something": To manage to survive or cope using a specific, often insufficient, resource.
    • Many families squeak by on government assistance.
  • "squeak by with something": To achieve a specific, often minimal, outcome.
    • She squeaked by with the minimum number of votes needed to win the nomination.
Variants and Related Words
  • Squeak (verb): To make a short, high-pitched sound. Figuratively, it can also mean to barely succeed, forming the basis for this phrasal verb.
  • Squeaker (noun, informal): A contest or election won by a very narrow margin.
    • The election was a real squeaker.
Synonyms
  • Scrape by: To manage with difficulty, often financially.
  • Get by: To manage to live or survive, especially with limited means.
  • Muddle through: To manage to do something despite lack of proper planning or skill.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Scrape through: Similar to "squeak by," often used for barely passing a test or qualification.
    • He didn't study much but somehow scraped through the course.
  • Squeeze by: A very close synonym, meaning to manage with great difficulty, often in a tight space or with limited resources.
    • We can squeeze by if we cut all unnecessary expenses.
Related Idioms
  • By the skin of one's teeth: To only just succeed in doing something.
    • He passed the final exam by the skin of his teeth.
  • Make ends meet: To have just enough money to pay for one's basic needs.
    • It's hard to make ends meet on a single salary.
squeak by

She managed to squeak by with a passing grade on the final exam.

Verb
  1. escape
    • She squeaked by me
  2. manage one's existence barely
    • I guess I can squeeze by on this lousy salary

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