Scraping (by)

EKING

Think of barely managing to get through, like stretching limited resources just enough to survive or succeed.

"Scraping (by)" hints at barely getting along or surviving with minimal effort. The word "scraping" suggests something being done with difficulty, while "by" implies just managing to do so. "Eking" fits perfectly because it means to barely make a living or achieve something with great effort, like "eking out a win." The clue plays on the phrase "scraping by," where "scraping" is the action and "by" is the result.