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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hangers-on
parasites
Noun
-
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
-
People can get parasites in ways including spending time in areas with them, from contaminated food or water, or from bug bites.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hangers-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hangers-on. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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