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
A number of presences, including Hunter Schafer‘s busybody assistant and Kaia Gerber’s entourage hanger-on, flit about on the periphery while the leads conversationally duke it out.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2026
The world has gotten a glimpse of the fawning, skeezy shamelessness of his famous hangers-on, but not enough to criminally implicate them.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
Callie is popular and vivacious, perpetually surrounded by admirers and various hangers-on (Audrey Grace Marshall’s Cara is hellbent on usurping Minnie’s place in Callie’s life, while her himbo-esque boyfriend Brad is given wonderful dimension through Beck Nolan’s sneaky-good performance).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
That transition is likely one of the reasons Welch spent the night surrounded by people eager to get a word in—though the rangy scribe was often seen looking over the heads of his hangers-on, trying to catch the eye of his tween nephew, who noted that this was his first-ever fashion show.
—Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hanger-on
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2026
The world has gotten a glimpse of the fawning, skeezy shamelessness of his famous hangers-on, but not enough to criminally implicate them.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
Callie is popular and vivacious, perpetually surrounded by admirers and various hangers-on (Audrey Grace Marshall’s Cara is hellbent on usurping Minnie’s place in Callie’s life, while her himbo-esque boyfriend Brad is given wonderful dimension through Beck Nolan’s sneaky-good performance).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
That transition is likely one of the reasons Welch spent the night surrounded by people eager to get a word in—though the rangy scribe was often seen looking over the heads of his hangers-on, trying to catch the eye of his tween nephew, who noted that this was his first-ever fashion show.
—Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hanger-on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanger-on
Noun
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The parasite is also a threat to wildlife and pets.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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The chemical is commonly used in aquatics to sanitize by killing harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites, and typically dissolves in water.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Launched in early 1982, the original MOTU line-up saw He-Man and Skeletor joined by heroes Teela (at this point, the only female character), Man-at-Arms and Stratos; the morally ambiguous Zodac; and a couple of Skeletor's henchmen, Beast Man and Mer-Man.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
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The remoteness of their surroundings is no accident; one of these characters is fleeing an inconvenient past, which returns with a vengeance in the form of a beefy sadist (Benoît Magimel) and his two hostage-taking henchmen.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Then, take a non-abrasive sponge and scrub.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
5 June 2026
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Wash nonstick pans with mild detergent and a soft sponge, not abrasive scrubbers.—
Ryan Brennan
June 2,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hanger-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanger-on. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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