Definition

Verb (phrasal verb): - To manage to survive, pass, or succeed, but only with great difficulty and by the narrowest of margins. It implies barely getting by with minimal resources or just barely meeting a requirement.

Usage

This phrasal verb is used to describe a situation where someone or something just barely manages to cope, survive, or pass through a difficult circumstance, often financial or spatial. It emphasizes scarcity and struggle.

Examples

• Financial Struggle: "With the rising cost of rent, we can just squeeze by each month." (We manage to pay our bills, but with no money left over.)
• Physical Movement: "The corridor was so narrow I had to turn sideways to squeeze by." (I barely managed to pass through.)
• Minimal Success: "His grades were poor, but he managed to squeeze by and graduate." (He passed, but just barely met the minimum requirements.)

Advanced Usage

• "squeeze by on [something]": To manage to survive using only a specific, limited resource.
  • Example: "She squeezes by on her pension and a small garden." (Her pension and garden provide just enough for her to live.)
• The phrase can be used in both literal (physical passing) and figurative (financial/survival) contexts.

Variants and Related Words

• Squeeze through (phrasal verb): Very similar in meaning, often used more for literal, physical passage through a tight space. ("We squeezed through the gap in the fence.")
• Get by (phrasal verb): A more general synonym meaning to manage to live or deal with a situation, sometimes with less emphasis on extreme difficulty. ("We get by with what we have.")
• Scrape by (phrasal verb): A very close synonym that also emphasizes barely managing with minimal resources. ("They scrape by on very little income.")

Synonyms

• Manage: To cope or deal with a situation.
• Scrape by/through: To just barely succeed or survive.
• Make ends meet: To have just enough money to pay for one's basic needs.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Squeak by/through: To succeed or pass by a very narrow margin, often unexpectedly. ("The team squeaked by with a one-point victory.")
• Pull through: To survive a difficult situation, especially an illness or crisis. ("With support, she pulled through the financial hardship.")

Related Idioms

• By the skin of one's teeth: To barely succeed at something. ("He passed the exam by the skin of his teeth.")
• Live hand to mouth: To spend all the money one earns on basic needs, with nothing left over. ("After losing his job, his family had to live hand to mouth.")

Verb

1. manage one's existence barely
   • I guess I can squeeze by on this lousy salary