Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

Make ends meet

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Make ends meet" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourResources, Money, & Value collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Resources, Money, & Value

Make ends meet

Make ends meet
To earn just enough money to pay for one's basic living expenses, such as food, housing, and bills.
History & Origin

The idiom likely originates from the 17th-century bookkeeping phrase 'to make ends meet,' where the 'ends' referred to the total income at the top of a financial ledger and the total expenditures at the bottom. Another popular theory connects it to tailoring, where a dressmaker or tailor had to efficiently use a limited piece of fabric so that the two ends could physically wrap around the body and meet. Over time, the phrase shifted from formal accounting and trade to a general expression for surviving on a tight budget.

Examples
Workplace Email

Many entry-level employees are finding it difficult to make ends meet with the current cost of living, which is why we should re-evaluate our starting salaries.

Casual Conversation

Ever since I cut back my hours at the restaurant to focus on university, it's been really tough to make ends meet.

Academic Writing

Sociological studies indicate that working-class families frequently rely on secondary sources of income simply to make ends meet during economic recessions.

News/Media

With inflation soaring to record highs this quarter, millions of households are struggling to make ends meet.

Formal Speech

Our community outreach program aims to provide vital resources to single parents who are working multiple jobs just to make ends meet.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. He won the multi-million dollar lottery, which finally allowed him to make ends meet.

B. Despite working two full-time jobs, she still struggles to make ends meet at the end of the month.

C. The carpenter used high-quality glue to make ends meet on the wooden table legs.

D. The manager asked the team to make ends meet by scheduling a project review for Friday afternoon.