mooching

present participle of mooch
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 mooching Meanwhile, the palace has been besieged by loutish suitors, led by the scheming Antinous (Robert Pattinson), all of them vying for the queen’s hand in remarriage and mooching off the absent king’s food and wine. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mooching
Verb
  • Mahajan’s family has appeared at City Hall, in person and through videoconference calls from India, begging the city to finally end the rides.
    — Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Mahajan's family has appeared at City Hall, in person and through videoconference calls from India, begging the city to finally end the rides.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • At 15, Mariana de Miguel was already sneaking into Mexico City’s nightlife with a fake ID, saving money to see the bands that shaped her imagination.
    — Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Imagine sneaking into a math library and combing through every mathematical text ever written.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The update comes on the heels of security footage from Clarkson’s visit to the store being released, showing Clarkson wandering the store for about five minutes, including a rather brief interaction with a shop employee.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • As the song played, people from neighboring studios, including hip-hop producers and other musicians, began wandering in.
    — Alex Distefano, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • However, no data center should be freeloading on my constituents in the form of higher electricity bills.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • The most profitable service targets authors lurking outside the notoriously gatekept realm of traditional publishing.
    — Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026
  • However, the modern versions that are packed with high explosives and sit lurking under the dirt to blow up unwary vehicles or pedestrians are much nastier affairs.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • More than 180,000 giant tortoises roaming freely on our atoll is proof of what long-term commitment to conservation can achieve.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The mustang had been roaming near Liberty Reservoir after he was spooked by a lawnmower and jumped over a fence at the end of June.
    — CBS Baltimore, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • This results in a snowball fight, some wedding crashing, and Lister stealing Hitler's bag.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The only time the school has won anything in 30 years comes when scumbag Jim Harbaugh goes out and magically comes up with some sign-stealing special agent who then sends the program on a massive string of success.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Southwest accomplished its goal emphatically, cruising to a 56-14 victory over Dunbar Friday at Clark Stadium.
    — Shiloh Robinson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The British yard, which revealed its first catamaran at the Cannes Yachting Festival in early September, today unveiled a new flagship sailing superyacht that combines elegant design and meticulous craftsmanship with bluewater cruising capability.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mooching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooching. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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