Barely made, with "out" (4)
I believe the answer is:
eked
'barely made with out' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for eked that I've seen before include "Added to scantly" , "- - out: increased" , "Made, a living say, laboriously" , "Lengthened; supplemented" , "... out, made to last through frugality" .)