Eking' is a five-letter word meaning to obtain something with difficulty or by using up all resources. It is often used in the phrase 'eke out a living, ' which means to make a meager living by working hard and using all available resources. Scratching (out) is a term that refers to the act of scraping or rubbing away at something, usually with one's fingernails or a sharp object. It is often used to describe the act of removing something from a surface, such as scratching out a name on a piece of paper.