1
general::
Also, squeak through. Manage barely to pass, win, survive, or the like, as in They are just squeaking by on their income, or He squeaked through the driver's test. This idiom transfers squeak in the sense of "barely emit a sound" to "narrowly manage something." [First half of 1900s] Also see SQUEEZE THROUGH.
American Heritage Idioms
2
general::
Phrase(s): squeak by (someone or something)
1. Fig. to manage just to squeeze past someone or something. • I squeaked by the fat man in the hallway only to find myself blocked by another. • I just barely squeaked by. 2. Fig. to manage just to get past a barrier represented by a person or thing, such as a difficult teacher or an examination. • Judy just squeaked by Professor Smith, who has a reputation for flunking students. • I took the test and just squeaked by.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs