day-to-day

1 of 2

adjective

Synonyms of day-to-daynext
1
: taking place, made, or done in the course of days
in charge of day-to-day operations
also : everyday
day-to-day life
2
: providing for a day at a time with little thought for the future
an aimless day-to-day existence
day-to-day adverb
or day to day
struggling day-to-day [=every day] with depression
living day to day [=one day at a time]
… it's impossible to live with devastation day to day and not look on all the concern over one still-healthy individual as a vulgar spectacle. Robert Massa

day-to-day

2 of 2

noun

plural day-to-days
: a usual routine that occurs each day
… a feeling of hope and adventure that many of us lack in our day-to-day.Nathan Mattise
But the woman is fearless, living life in a perpetual state of curiosity despite her repetitive day-to-day.Alex Suskind

Synonyms of day-to-day

Examples of day-to-day in a Sentence

Adjective the day-to-day routine of commuting to work
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
Covering day-to-day expenses was the biggest source of concern, the analysis found. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026 This phenomenon can be quite relevant even in day-to-day life. Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
In a statement, Howard Kwong, Cascale’s senior manager of public affairs for APAC, emphasized that for sustainability efforts to be successful, policy ambition must be balanced with practical implementation pathways that reflect the day-to-day operational realities of manufacturers. Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2026 Reputation, labor dynamics, and community expectations shape what can be said even as the day-to-day reality of making work pushes in another direction. Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for day-to-day

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of day-to-day was in 1862

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Day-to-day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/day-to-day. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

day-to-day

adjective
ˈdāt-ə-ˌdā
1
: taking place, made, or done in the course of days
day-to-day problems
2
: providing for a day at a time with little thought of the future
a day-to-day existence
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