rub along vs contend

rub along and contend both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
rub along	No	No	Yes	No
contend	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, contend is a hypernym of rub along; that is, contend is a word with a broader meaning than rub along:

rub along: manage one's existence barely
contend: succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available

Other hypernyms of rub along include cope, deal, get by, grapple, make do, make out, manage.

rub along (verb)	contend (verb)
manage one's existence barely	to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation
	have an argument about something
	maintain or assert
	compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
	be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
	succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available