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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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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for free riders
  1. parasites
  2. henchmen
Noun
  • For example, before vaccines kick in, sharing a litter box with another house cat risks transferring parasites.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • But much of it appears to be little more than the remains of viruses and other molecular parasites.
    — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of parasites
Noun
  • One of the senior henchmen of right-wing Christian politics saw this dangerous transformation unfolding from the inside.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
  • While Sanji and Chopper fight off various henchmen, Luffy battles Wapol and eventually beats him with Sanj’s help.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Aug. 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 17 Sep. 2026.

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