free riders

noun

plural of free rider
as in parasites
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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Recent Examples of Synonyms for free riders
  1. parasites
  2. henchmen
Noun
  • Even all the way down in South Florida, plants long dismissed as parasites could turn out to offer benefits to their hosts, and prompt parks and gardeners to rethink when to reach for pruning shears and weedkillers.
    — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Melvin may be tiny, but his spirit is not, and the kitty has beaten all the odds, including two parasites, an upper respiratory infection, and an eye infection.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of parasites
Noun
  • After seven years of no sleep, grief, and nightmares, Suleyman finally reunites with his mother in Paradise—just as henchmen, cops, and one very bad raid drag him back into hell.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2026
  • And so does Jesse — particularly the latest installment, which sees the iconic henchmen find themselves as accidental stars in 1920s Hollywood.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of henchmen
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
free riders
frees
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Cite this Entry

“Free riders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free%20riders. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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