by the sweat of brow

by the sweat of one's brow

Fig. by one's efforts; by one's hard work. Tom raised these vegetables by the sweat of his brow. Sally polished the car by the sweat of her brow.

See also: brow, sweat

---

by the sweat of your brow  (literary)

if you earn the money that you use to live on by the sweat of your brow, you earn it yourself, by doing hard, often physical work A decent, hard-working man, he supported his family by the sweat of his brow.

See also: brow, sweat