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

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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
  • Comments begged Kennedy to explain what caused her relationship to end.
    Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
  • That begs the question of whether the Rockets need to upgrade at point guard, given their championship expectations.
    Ricardo Sandoval, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Brissett and the Cardinals responded immediately, marching 74 yards in 11 plays before Brissett snuck one across at the goal line.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Tibetan parents, fathers mostly, also snuck into India to leave their children at the school.
    Diaa Hadid, NPR, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Rio has several bairros, or neighborhoods, but Barros prefers to wander the winding streets of the bohemian Santa Teresa neighborhood, a hilly district with an artistic vibe, colonial architecture, and panoramic views of the city.
    Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Kyle MacLachlan was wandering around the Paramour Estate in Silver Lake, the lavish former home of silent film star Antonio Moreno and his wife and oil heiress Daisey Canfield last night.
    Peter White, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The specter of freeloading corporations using more space, water, and energy for AI processing has defined the race for the 30th House of Delegates district, well outside DC.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The watch party is over for people who have been freeloading on their subscription to HBO Max.
    Chris Morris, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Analysts say the new submarine appears to be based off the Russian Borei class of SSBNs, able to lurk deep under the surface without being detected.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Nobody in Toronto has been obsessing about hockey for weeks now, so this is as close as the Leafs will ever come to being able to lurk in the background.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Bison roam freely, wild horses graze on ridges, and entire prairie dog towns pop up along the roadside.
    Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The attraction once let families see free-roaming lions from the safety of their Chevy Impalas and Ford Fairlanes.
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Maia’s horrified to realize that the bag was stolen; Tallulah’s mostly just annoyed she got caught.
    Caroline Framke, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Before his imprisonment, Chacón was arrested in 2024 on a domestic violence charge and, in 2025, was accused of stealing merchandise at a Walmart.
    Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • When the door opens, Bear strolls in, his front leg covered in paint—clear evidence of his accidental mischief.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • In fact, the pergola quickly became a popular place to stroll and to be seen.
    Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mooch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooch. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

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