hanger-on
noun
hang·er-on
ˈhaŋ-ər-ˌȯn 
-ˌän
plural hangers-on
: one that hangs around a person, place, or institution especially for personal gain
Examples of hanger-on in a Sentence
almost overnight, the singer was a star, and almost overnight, he was surrounded by hangers-on who wanted something
Recent Examples on the Web
That transition is likely one of the reasons Welch spent the night surrounded by people eager to get a word in—though the rangy scribe was often seen looking over the heads of his hangers-on, trying to catch the eye of his tween nephew, who noted that this was his first-ever fashion show.
—
Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
No pop artist has ever survived haters, handlers and hangers-on without a scratch.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The latter have mostly finished spawning and moved back to the salt water for the winter, but the few hangers-on in the streams are ravenous and hit my hardware like fish twice their size.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 11 Dec. 2025
Meynecke said his footage suggested the whales found their hangers-on annoying.
—CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hanger-on
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Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
No pop artist has ever survived haters, handlers and hangers-on without a scratch.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The latter have mostly finished spawning and moved back to the salt water for the winter, but the few hangers-on in the streams are ravenous and hit my hardware like fish twice their size.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 11 Dec. 2025
Meynecke said his footage suggested the whales found their hangers-on annoying.
—CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hanger-on
Cite this Entry
“Hanger-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hanger-on. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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