English Reference
Idiom idiom

crack a crust


To make a living.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“He works hard to crack a crust.”

CONTEXTUAL

“After losing his office job, he started driving a taxi just to crack a crust.”

COMPLEX

“Despite the economic downturn, the small business owner managed to crack a crust by diversifying his services to meet the changing needs of the local community.”


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all it's cracked up to be

    As good as claims or reputation would suggest.

  2. 02

    crack a fat

    To get an erection of the penis.

  3. 03

    crack a smile

    To smile, especially while attempting not to.

  4. 04

    crack down

    To take harsh action (against), as when enforcing a law more stringently than before.

  5. 05

    crack of dawn

    The first moment of daylight; the instant at which sunrise begins.

  6. 06

    crack through

    To penetrate

  7. 07

    crack up

    To laugh.

  8. 08

    earn one's crust

    To earn money, to do something as a job.

Last updated August 10, 2026