scrape by
US /skreɪp baɪ/
UK /skreɪp baɪ/
1.
to manage to live with great difficulty, usually with very little money
:
•
After losing his job, he had to scrape by on his savings.
•
Many families are just scraping by in this economy.
2.
to just barely succeed in something, often with difficulty
:
•
He managed to scrape by the exam with a passing grade.
•
The team just scraped by with a narrow victory.