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
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 hangers-on
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
No pop artist has ever survived haters, handlers and hangers-on without a scratch.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Meynecke said his footage suggested the whales found their hangers-on annoying.
—CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
During the 2024 election, Amazon’s Prime Video tapped Brian Williams to moderate a conversation-heavy Election Night hangout with a large crowd of journalists, influencers and hangers-on.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
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
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
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
No pop artist has ever survived haters, handlers and hangers-on without a scratch.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Meynecke said his footage suggested the whales found their hangers-on annoying.
—CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
During the 2024 election, Amazon’s Prime Video tapped Brian Williams to moderate a conversation-heavy Election Night hangout with a large crowd of journalists, influencers and hangers-on.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hangers-on
parasites
Noun
-
When countries are unable to provide treatment, the parasites that cause these diseases will spread to infect more people.—
Philip Budge,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The parasites are not a health risk if the fish is cooked to at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hangers-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hangers-on. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
