mooch

1
as in to beg
to live by relying on someone else's generosity or hospitality without sharing in the cost or responsibility he's always mooching off of his friends, even though he can easily pay his own way

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to sneak
to move about in a sly or secret manner I suspect she's mooching around in the background and keeping an eye on us

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mooch Her family wants to mooch off her success while also criticizing her success. Lydia Patrick, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025 The exchange seemed to show real feelings and judgments — that the Europeans are mooching and that any American military action, no matter how clearly in American interests as well, should be somehow paid for by other beneficiaries. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025 Not for Chelsea, obviously, whom he’s already once told to go find a richer boyfriend to mooch off. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025 Anyway, my friend and I were able to mooch a ride from him to that wonderful institution known as LAX, land of inconvenience, confusion, disdain and dirty bathrooms. Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mooch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mooch
Verb
  • Frazier then tried to subtly get the answer to the question fans have been begging to know — is Rihanna having a baby girl?
    Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 30 June 2025
  • Within a month, my friends were begging me for more.
    Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • At several shows, bright colors snuck onto the runway, sometimes paired with equally subversive messaging, and, at other times, a playful new take on tradition.
    Alice Pfeiffer, CNN Money, 1 July 2025
  • At the end of Season 2, In-ho so graciously betrays everybody and eventually sneaks away from the pack, fakes his own death of the walkie talkie, and then puts his mask back on and punishes Gi-hun for causing this whole revolt and shoots and kills his best friend right in front of him.
    Jim Halterman, Variety, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • The shelter added that Captain ended up at Bentonville after a woman found the dog wandering near a road while traveling in Missouri.
    Moná Thomas, People.com, 5 July 2025
  • Read a book, breathe deeply or just let your mind wander.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • After less than 24 hours on the ground in the Netherlands, Trump headed back to Washington having secured a major policy change he's pushed for since 2017: a significant boost in defense spending by other NATO countries that the president has for years accused of freeloading off the United States.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 June 2025
  • And, more broadly, that work requirements incentivize people to work and prevent able-bodied, working-age people from freeloading off of hard-working Americans.
    Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • MacBook Pro’s Faster Connectivity Alongside the M5 upgrade offering a 15 to 20 percent uplift in pure performance, another speedy upgrade is lurking inside the spec leaks of the next macOS laptop, namely Wi-Fi 7.
    Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • According to police estimates, there are over 450 active gangs, whose memberships total more than 45,000, lurking in Los Angeles alone.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Among the chaos is Rupert Friend, playing Martin Krebs, who's assembling a group to take to the scene of the devastation in hopes of extracting DNA from the creatures roaming the island to fund his next medical breakthrough.
    Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
  • Bear numbers swelled, and by the mid-2000s, more than 600 bears roamed the Yellowstone area.
    Christine Peterson, Vox, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • This attack works through thousands of dangerous websites, stealing credit card or PayPal details as soon as they’re entered.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • In a near-future Kolkata, ravaged by climate change, one family is about to escape, until their visas are stolen.
    Literary Hub July 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Into this world strolls Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a rough-around-the-edges veteran driver who (literally) crashed out of Formula One several decades ago.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025
  • Usher, 46, and his wife strolled around together in casual attire, while Gates, 69, and his serious girlfriend coordinated in black outfits.
    Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mooch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooch. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

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