free rider

as in parasite
a person who is supported by or seeks support from another without making an adequate return During their fundraising campaign, the public radio station encouraged listeners not to be free riders.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for free rider
Noun
  • The knowledge that my life only matters as a body for labor feeds on my heart like a parasite.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
  • The insect, along with a second specimen of a young ant infected with a similar fungus, are two of the oldest examples of a bizarre natural phenomenon that involves fungal parasites hijacking the bodies of their hosts before ultimately killing them.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • And the 1987 requirement that taxpayers supply Social Security numbers for dependent children resulted in a marked difference in the numbers of dependents claimed on returns—seven million fewer dependent children were claimed than in the previous year.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • The House plan exempted all people with dependents from the work requirements.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • But, for the most part, a nice guy and a top-notch pain sponge.
    Whitney Friedlander, Vulture, 27 June 2025
  • Avoid scrubbing the microwave’s interior with rough materials like steel wool or abrasive sponges.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Before her family arrives, Bree tries to shoot Grady, but once Grady’s henchman captures Diller, she’s forced to make a choice: drop the gun or watch her son die.
    Keith Langston, People.com, 21 June 2025
  • In a moment of sly genius, Duke gained entry by concealing himself as one of Lyle’s ghostly henchmen using a rubber band and a piece of white tissue as his disguise.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
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.

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“Free rider.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free%20rider. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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