out [phrasal verb] [M] - to try to make a small supply of (something) enough for your needsHe managed to eke out a living (= earn just enough to live on) one summer by selling drinks on a beach.There wasn't much food left but we just managed to eke it out over four people.
EKE
Meaning of EKE in English
Cambridge English vocab. Кембриджский английский словарь. 2012