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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of hanger-on
The book orbits around an art scandal that pulls in collectors, curators, philosophers and hangers-on.
—
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for hanger-on
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for hanger-on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanger-on
Noun
-
Most standard portable filters only catch parasites, so check that any filter is certified to NSF Standard 53 or 58 with a small enough pore size.
-
Police said nearly all the dogs that were surrendered tested positive for whipworm, an intestinal parasite known to cause anemia that, if left untreated, can eventually result in the death of an animal.
Noun
-
Now, Lilith must team up with Cinderella to fight biker trolls, outrun evil henchmen, and escape the Screaming Woods.
-
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.
Noun
-
Scrub the grates with an old rag or abrasive dish sponge and rinse well.
-
Chemical sunscreens cover the skin in a transparent coating, acting like a solar sponge.
Cite this Entry
“Hanger-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanger-on. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
