1
as in begging
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
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2
as in sneaking
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
as in wandering
to move about from place to place aimlessly
kids on vacation mooching about the house and looking for something to do
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mooching
On top of that, Nico is also, quite obviously, just mooching off/clinging to Mindy because he got cut off by his family.
—
Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mooching
Verb
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These questions linger as Ion goes about his day, looking for work, begging for change, and scarfing down a meal—moments that flash by in quick, propulsive blips.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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The officer was able to keep distance between himself and Jones, while Jones’ sister could be heard screaming and begging police not to shoot him, according to the footage.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Late Tuesday morning, in Terminal E, the line extends three stories, including outside the airport terminal where lines are sneaking around the drop-off stations for buses.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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Friends are sprawled out on the couch, or coming in and out of the room to show off their outfits, or sneaking mimosas into coffee cups.—
Jazmine Hughes,
Allure,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After six months of backpacking, Martha was feeling very Taoist, very detached, just a big naked eyeball wandering around, absorbing all the astonishing things there were to see at the frayed edges of a defunct feudal empire.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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Though the original clip is authentic, showing seven dogs wandering down the side of a highway in northeastern Jilin province, Chinese state media has since debunked the narrative of their escape and journey home.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Scientists tracking humpbacks off the coast of Australia have captured rare footage that shows clutches of the freeloading fish peeling away from their host in what looks like a high-speed game of chicken, just moments before the whale breaches.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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The specter of freeloading corporations using more space, water, and energy for AI processing has defined the race for the 30th House of Delegates district, well outside DC.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There are stories of a knife-wielding, bride-killing monster lurking in the woods, which Nicky’s big brother (Jeff Wilbusch’s icy Jules) may or may not have encountered as a child.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
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Some of the animal bones lurking inside are completely unexpected, too.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chicago is a beautiful city and shouldn’t have to deal with kids roaming around with nothing to do.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Sac State is the host school at Golden 1 Center for this event, which means more familiar faces roaming the arena, including Orr, Bill Macriss, Jason Spencer, Brian Berger, Ryan Bjork and others.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the movie, which was progressive for its time, the trans character attempts suicide after being subjected to emotional and physical abuse by the manipulative Sonny, who tries to make amends by going rogue and stealing money for their surgery.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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While South Florida locals debate whether Fort Lauderdale is truly stealing Miami’s thunder, Smorgasburg’s move from the 305 to the 954 is indicative of Fort Lauderdale’s growing food scene and appeal to young people.—
Amanda Rosa
March 31,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Arlington Grace Prep Lions erupted for five runs in the bottom of the first inning, cruising to a 9-2 victory over New Braunfels Allegiance in a non-district high school baseball contest Friday at the campus of Colleyville Covenant Christian.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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The Wolverines had a 16-0 run in the second quarter to erase an 11-point deficit, their biggest, then broke a tie in the third quarter by scoring 17 consecutive points and cruising to their second Elite Eight, both in the past five seasons.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mooching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooching. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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