as in parasite
a person who is supported by or seeks support from another without making an adequate return
almost overnight, the singer was a star, and almost overnight, he was surrounded by hangers-on who wanted something
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Recent Examples of hanger-on
The ultimate goal, then, seems to be nothing less than the complete supplanting of MAGA with a new political movement—an angry, ultra-conspiratorial, unbiblical, neo-pagan movement of misfits and their hangers-on.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
She’s gained a following on TikTok and elsewhere by spoofing very specific types of people—like an unpredictable roommate or a socially awkward hanger-on—in micro-format.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Which interpretation lands best with Subramanian will be made clear at Friday’s sentencing hearing — for which Combs, as well as various family members and hangers-on, will be in NYC’s Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
Mike Appel led the session from behind the board, with the engineer Louis Lahav at his side and a scattering of staff, friends, and other hangers-on lurking here and there.
—Peter Ames Carlin, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hanger-on
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
She’s gained a following on TikTok and elsewhere by spoofing very specific types of people—like an unpredictable roommate or a socially awkward hanger-on—in micro-format.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Which interpretation lands best with Subramanian will be made clear at Friday’s sentencing hearing — for which Combs, as well as various family members and hangers-on, will be in NYC’s Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
Mike Appel led the session from behind the board, with the engineer Louis Lahav at his side and a scattering of staff, friends, and other hangers-on lurking here and there.
—Peter Ames Carlin, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hanger-on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanger-on
Noun
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Many of the other dogs showed signs consistent with long-term outdoor neglect, including parasites, dental issues, and untreated medical conditions such as Giardia, fleas, and ticks.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
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Continue reading … ‘SERIOUS THREAT’ – Abbott issues disaster declaration as deadly parasite spreads north from Mexico.—
,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper’s Beadle Bamford, the judge’s henchman, has a malicious ebullience all his own.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Appropriately, Stromberg’s henchman is named Jaws, played by the inimitable Richard Kiel, whose metal teeth and imposing physique make for some of the franchise’s most memorable fight scenes.—
Sezin Devi Koehler,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Try a Melamine Sponge Another popular cleaning tool for baseboards is a melamine sponge.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
7 Feb. 2026
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An underdog with a bite Faulkner was once a quarterback standing 5-foot-nothing with a 10-cent arm but a million-dollar head with a brain like a sponge.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hanger-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanger-on. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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