# scrape along

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/scrape-along
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to manage to live or survive when you have very little money.

For teachers: to manage to survive or subsist with difficulty, typically due to a lack of financial resources. The verb is intransitive and often implies a precarious financial state.

## Examples

- They scrape along on very little money each month.
- After losing his job, he had to scrape along by doing odd jobs for neighbors.
- Despite the economic downturn, the small bookstore managed to scrape along, though its profit margins remained razor-thin.

## Pitfalls

- Not "They scrape along the small pension." but "They scrape along on the small pension." — the preposition 'on' is required to connect the action to the source of income.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by 'on' to indicate the source of income or resources.
- Teaching tip: compare with 'get by', which is more common; 'scrape along' suggests a more difficult or minimal level of survival.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.