as in parasites
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 hangers-on
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
Peter Ames Carlin, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hangers-on
parasites
Noun
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There, all animals undergo full medical evaluations, including testing for diseases, worms, and parasites.—
Meg Dunn,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
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The medication used to treat some parasites has also been used to treat COVID-19.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hangers-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hangers-on. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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