mooch

Definition of moochnext
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 Suleman also opened up about her financial insecurity in the early 2010s and how the media painted her to be mooching off the government. Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 8 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
  • As a kid in Rochester, New York, Kane begged his parents for a dollar to play.
    Anna Rahmanan, thehustle.co, 9 Jan. 2026
  • While eating at the restaurant with her parents, Black begged for her own tasty drink and the bartender whipped one up, naming it after her.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Some of my earliest memories are sneaking out of bed to sit at the top of the stairs, desperate to catch a glimpse of the gold and the glamour.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
  • If the cover art suggests ’70s private-press albums have snuck into Garm’s rotation, the music seems to confirm it.
    Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Still, much of the time Froud was content, wandering the set after just learning to walk, unfazed by the elaborate production around him.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
  • That morning, in a new suburb of Glendale, three-year-old Kelly Keen wandered, unattended, out of her house and into the driveway.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Scientists tracking humpbacks off the coast of Australia have captured rare footage that shows clutches of the freeloading fish peeling away from their host in what looks like a high-speed game of chicken, just moments before the whale breaches.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • Below-average play is often staring you right in the face while catastrophe lurks around the corner.
    Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • The Italian experimental duo creates a sprawling, overstimulating work that celebrates the kitsch lurking behind a wide array of musical forms.
    H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Galaxy's Edge visitors will soon find Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia Organa as seen in A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi roaming the land.
    Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
  • Darth Vader will make appearances near the TIE Fighter with a show moment before roaming the land with a pair of Imperial Stormtroopers.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • One of the more entertaining theories to explain Indiana’s success is that a Hoosiers staffer hacked a cloud to steal the opponent’s game plans.
    Mac Engel January 13, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Jan. 2026
  • The perfect partner for the look is a powder pink clutch and stole, both with embroidery that matches the dress.
    Ana Serrano, Glamour, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • In fact, Ross typically hides from no one, usually strolling through the locker room to make his exit.
    Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Spend an afternoon strolling the historic town square, then be sure to snag a seat for dinner at Miss Mary Bobo’s, a former boarding house that now serves family-style Southern comfort feasts across nine dining rooms on three floors.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mooch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooch. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.

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