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 Behavioral habits, including hand-to-mouth motion, inhalation and smoking rituals may also contribute to why quitting is difficult for many smokers. — Victoria Forster, Forbes.com, 20 May 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 In leading the study, Rogers tested 30 braiding hair products across human, plant-based, and synthetic categories, including brands people specifically asked him to evaluate, like Gyal and Rebundle, using a hand-to-mouth risk assessment. — Essence, 1 Apr. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for hand-to-mouth

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-to-mouth

Adjective

Already, reports of sparse crowds have marred the Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair on the National Mall, the Daily Beast said.

— Martha Ross, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
In North Platte, Nebraska, vegetation is much sparser with drier soils.

— Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Definition of sparse

Adjective

Rats are burrowing into aid parcels, forcing people to throw away scarce rice or flour supplies.

— Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Managing scarcity through digital modeling While deuterium is highly abundant and easily extracted from standard seawater, tritium is exceedingly scarce in nature.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026

Definition of scarce

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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 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of hand-to-mouth

adjective

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