mooches

verb

present tense third-person singular of mooch
1
as in begs
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 sneaks
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
as in wanders
to move about from place to place aimlessly kids on vacation mooching about the house and looking for something to do

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mooches
  1. begs
  2. sneaks
  3. wanders
  4. lurks
  5. roams
  6. slips
  7. drifts
  8. steals
Verb
  • This blooming aura base practically begs to be paired with florals to match.
    — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 12 July 2026
  • Rhaena goes to the Vale and begs Lady Jeyne Arryn for sanctuary, but the noblewoman wants nothing to do with her.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of begs
Verb
  • Moana sneaks away and sets sail, with the ocean guiding her at every step.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
  • This episode sneaks some plot in toward the end, as the 10-Petal’s most skeptical cowboy, Austin, comes to Rip and finally — finally!
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Definition of sneaks
Verb
  • As Odysseus wanders from place to place, discovering the foreign customs and attitudes of each one, the story explores the concept of home, asking what kind of civilization is appropriate for an authentic human being.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
  • Zidane wanders into a pocket of unmarked space to meet an inswinging Emmanuel Petit corner and head powerfully in at the near post to give France the lead.
    — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of wanders
Verb
  • As iconography that could unify through recognition that diversity lurks in everyone, the art was truly ahead of its time, and has become more necessary than ever.
    — Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Jamon has left the past behind, but danger still lurks.
    — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 June 2026
Definition of lurks
Verb
  • North Carolina will be under the microscope as long as Bill Belichick roams the sidelines in Chapel Hill.
    — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 5 June 2026
  • Today, the herd roams the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and is managed in partnership with the local fire company, which hosts the annual pony swim—a beloved local tradition.
    — Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2026
Definition of roams
Verb
  • Later this evening, however, the moon slips into the meticulous and methodical sign of Virgo, which, in turn, grounds the atmosphere.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
  • By night, people drift toward the beach, dinner tables fill, and music slips through the air.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of slips
Verb
  • The noise of heavy machinery drifts up into the still morning air.
    — Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026
  • Light moves But the show’s action drifts beyond that focal point, up to the main plaza level, especially in its lighting.
    — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 July 2026
Definition of drifts
Verb
  • John Legend steals the show at the 2026 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland on July 9.
    — People Staff, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
  • Adebayo ranks second in franchise history in all-time points scored (10,391 points) and total rebounds grabbed (5,756 rebounds), third in all-time assists (2,276 assists) and steals (693), and fifth in all-time blocks (538 blocks).
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026
Definition of steals
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.

Browse Nearby Words

moochers
mooches
mooching
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mooches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooches. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All