crampon, crampoon - a hinged pair of curved iron bars; used to raise heavy objects

claw, hook - a mechanical device that is curved or bent to suspend or hold or pull something

tool - an implement used in the practice of a vocation

dredging bucket - a bucket for lifting material from a channel or riverbed

struggle - strenuous effort; "the struggle to get through the crowd exhausted her"

act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel"

extemporize, improvise - manage in a makeshift way; do with whatever is at hand; "after the hurricane destroyed our house, we had to improvise for weeks"

fend - try to manage without help; "The youngsters had to fend for themselves after their parents died"

hack, cut - informal: be able to manage or manage successfully; "I can't hack it anymore"; "she could not cut the long days in the office"

rub along, scrape along, scrape by, scratch along, squeak by, squeeze by - manage one's existence barely; "I guess I can squeeze by on this lousy salary"

cope with, match, meet - satisfy or fulfill; "meet a need"; "this job doesn't match my dreams"

clutch, prehend, seize - take hold of; grab; "The salesclerk quickly seized the money on the counter"; "She clutched her purse"; "The mother seized her child by the arm"; "Birds of prey often seize small mammals"