1
as in begging
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
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2
as in sneaking
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 wandering
to move about from place to place aimlessly
kids on vacation mooching about the house and looking for something to do
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mooching
On top of that, Nico is also, quite obviously, just mooching off/clinging to Mindy because he got cut off by his family.
—
Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mooching
Verb
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Ring camera footage obtained by the outlet shows a woman frantically knocking on a neighbor's door and begging for help moments after the child was struck.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
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There were cheers and kids begging for high-fives from him.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
9 May 2026
Verb
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After being expelled from Brown University for sneaking a coed into his room, Turner came to Atlanta to work as an account executive for his domineering father’s billboard company, Turner Advertising.—
David Bauder,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
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In the video, the woman is seen lifting the bottle of cognac, which retails for $4,000, and sneaking it into a purse.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
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In other words, the object that reshaped the moon may have been a leftover planetary building block wandering inward from the outer rocky solar system during the chaotic era of planet formation.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
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For a glimpse of wildlife, ogle the bison wandering on the Wildlife Loop.—
Jess Hoffert,
Midwest Living,
9 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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However, lurking questions raised concerns about the integrity of articles Darsee published, including in the New England Journal of Medicine.—
Lawrence K. Altman,
STAT,
7 May 2026
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That’s the one that told the hockey world the Americans weren’t just lurking in the background.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Celebrate by roaming the stacks after dark at this festival.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Fish and wildlife officials advise people to remove bird feeders until the turkeys leave the area and install sprinklers if the wild fowl keep roaming into yards.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Officials say the ring targeted vulnerable residents by forging documents, stealing personal information about the real owners and arranging the sales of the properties.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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There's a long way to go before the season gets here and stealing the spotlight on Thursday night during the draft doesn’t guarantee anything.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The 364-foot Leviathan was delivered to the billionaire gaming visionary in November 2025, but was recently captured cruising the Bahamas by photographer Guillaume Plisson.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
6 May 2026
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The driver of a truck for H&S Family of Bakeries was seen in the video cruising along the highway when the aircraft made impact.—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mooching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooching. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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