mooch

1
as in to beg
to live by relying on someone else's generosity or hospitality without sharing in the cost or responsibility he's always mooching off of his friends, even though he can easily pay his own way

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to sneak
to move about in a sly or secret manner I suspect she's mooching around in the background and keeping an eye on us

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

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 mooch Not for Chelsea, obviously, whom he’s already once told to go find a richer boyfriend to mooch off. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025 Anyway, my friend and I were able to mooch a ride from him to that wonderful institution known as LAX, land of inconvenience, confusion, disdain and dirty bathrooms. Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 26 Feb. 2025 China’s Silicon Valley–slayer may have mooched off Silicon Valley after all. Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2025 Her family wants to mooch off her success while also criticizing her success. Lydia Patrick, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mooch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mooch
Verb
  • There’s a brilliant scene in which Linda unspools a throwdown rant at O’Brien’s character, begging him to help her but not willing to meet him halfway on the patient’s couch.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Anderson doesn’t have to beg anybody to take Hardy seriously anymore.
    David Ubben, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Billie sneaks out and finds where Morsus is keeping Quentin.
    Selome Hailu, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
  • In need of a place to hide out, Manchester sneaks into a Toys R’ Us in Charlotte.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The southernmost individual on record lives in the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro, just 200 kilometers from Mexico City, while the northernmost populations wander the Arctic coasts in northern Canada and Alaska.
    Ganesh Marín, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The mind could wander briefly about the Giants riding a two-game winning streak into a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Eagles, equipped to knock off their tormentors who suddenly look vulnerable.
    Dan Duggan, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The watch party is over for people who have been freeloading on their subscription to HBO Max.
    Chris Morris, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Companies cannot be allowed to build market share by freeloading off the investments of others.
    Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • However, 62 laps and humid conditions stood in his way, with Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, and Lando Norris lurking not far behind.
    Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Beneath such moves often lurks a selfish desire to soothe increasing anxiety, unrest, and potentially even boredom.
    Kurt Strovink, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Snow Leopards in Hemis In Hemis National Park, situated high in the Greater Himalayas in northern India, the famously elusive snow leopard roams across cliffs and valleys.
    Marion Miller, Travel + Leisure, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The structure features a 3,200-square-foot open air enclosure for the butterflies to roam.
    Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Baltasar Rodriguez had stolen the ball from an Atlanta defender and crossed the ball to Messi.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Look no further than Saturday’s Game 5, when both the Cubs and Brewers used an opener followed by a bulk reliever, and rookie Misiorowski stole the show with four strong innings to help the Brewers advance.
    Chad Jennings, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The man in the box turns out to be Chalamet, who emerges with a shorn head in a Marty Supreme sweatsuit and strolls off the field, into a shipping container, and onto a movie junket set-up.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Five minutes later, Chris Jones strolls into the same space — not all that unlike his stroll on his final play — and offers the same sentiment more forcefully.
    Sam McDowell Updated October 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mooch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooch. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!