HAND-TO-MOUTH Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

hand-to-mouth

adjective

ˈhan(d)-tə-ˈmau̇th

Definition of hand-to-mouth

as in sparse

less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable survived on a hand-to-mouth income that came from any odd job that he could find

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hand-to-mouth At the start of The Big Fake, a Netflix dramatization of one criminal’s involvement in the most tumultuous events in post-war Italy, Toni Chichiarelli (Pietro Castellitto) is a talented painter living hand-to-mouth as a portrait artist on the streets of Rome. — Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 2026 The occupants of this Neolithic housing development were not hand-to-mouth hunter-gatherers but settled inhabitants of a fertile floodplain. — Literary Hub, 26 Jan. 2026 The film is not blind to how easily big dreams can be derailed, especially for the hand-to-mouth creative class in a Midwestern outpost. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026 While their musician patriarch is on the road, the eldest sibling has become the clear-eyed voice of discipline in the household who struggles with the strain of their hand-to-mouth life. — Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hand-to-mouth

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-to-mouth

Adjective

Across bat species, 9 percent are known so far to have odor-producing glands and other structures, but research on this is sparse, according to a 2021 paper in Mammal Review co-authored by Page.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026
The incident appeared in the university’s crime log with sparse details, but officials did not respond to CNN’s inquiry about whether students were broadly notified of the allegations.

— Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of sparse

Adjective

Sport offers scarce assets, global audiences, emotionally committed communities and hundreds of billions of dollars of underlying enterprise value.

— Julian La Picque, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Locals worried that if the data center came to town, the resource, already so scarce and so precious, would vanish.

— Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of scarce

Adjective

Disease that has spread to those organs is associated with poorer treatment outcomes.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
They were frustrated with teacher shortages and poor conditions at schools, including overcrowded classrooms and dilapidated buildings.

— James Cirrone , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of poor

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hand-to-hand

hand-to-mouth

hand truck

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“Hand-to-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-to-mouth. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of hand-to-mouth

adjective

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