live off
verb
lived off; living off; lives off
: to use (something or someone) as the main source of what one needs to survive (such as money or food)
… the indigenous … people, who have inhabited the rain forest of Irian Jaya, living off the land, for thousands of years.—
Eyal Press
Eyal Press… the fish goes into a kind of hibernation, living off its reserves of fat …—Mark Carwardine
Mark Carwardine… she is one of the few Iditarod competitors who have turned professional, living off race winnings.—National Wildlife
National Wildlife… a growing subculture of people who have reduced their spending habits and live off consumer waste.—Erika Hayasaki
Erika HayasakiMax lives off his father …—Harold Beaver
Harold BeaverExamples of live off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The rules protect the North Atlantic right whale, which numbers less than 400 and lives off the East Coast.
—ABC News, 14 Feb. 2026
Under questioning from Scahill, Guevara told the jury he and his wife of 40 years are retired and living off of his police pension and Social Security in the suburbs of San Antonio.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
His work on Prototaxites fossils has shown that the ancient organisms didn’t use photosynthesis to produce energy from light like plants, but likely consumed carbon sources in the environment — just as some living fungi live off decomposing organic matter.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
The invasive pests originally lived off the blood of bats, and when humans started sheltering in caves, bed bugs began feeding on them instead.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for live off
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ABC News, 14 Feb. 2026
Under questioning from Scahill, Guevara told the jury he and his wife of 40 years are retired and living off of his police pension and Social Security in the suburbs of San Antonio.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
His work on Prototaxites fossils has shown that the ancient organisms didn’t use photosynthesis to produce energy from light like plants, but likely consumed carbon sources in the environment — just as some living fungi live off decomposing organic matter.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
The invasive pests originally lived off the blood of bats, and when humans started sheltering in caves, bed bugs began feeding on them instead.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for live off
Cite this Entry
“Live off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20off. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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