Squeak (by) (3)
I believe the answer is:
eke
'squeak by' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for eke that I've seen before include "long ago" , "Supplement" , "Stretch (out); in addition (archaic)" , "Make a living laboriously - a palindrome" , "addition to Scots" .)