to scrape through
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To pass an examination, etc., "by the skin of one's teeth," just to escape failure.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to scrape through” mean?
To pass an examination, etc., "by the skin of one's teeth," just to escape failure.
Is “to scrape through” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.