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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As soon as the referee called Wildcats ball, Karaban started twirling his finger, begging his bench for a review.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2026
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My frizzy hair is begging for some.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The teenager is desperate to debut in Regency-era England, sneaking into society events and eagerly attending etiquette lessons under the watchful eye of her sister Eloise (Claudia Jesse).—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2026
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That feature has since been covered over with concrete, so don’t get any funny ideas about sneaking into the palace after hours.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In her fifty-seven years of wandering, nobody had messed with her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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In summer, look for grizzlies wandering among the grasslands of the park’s Hayden Valley.—
Laura Kiniry,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 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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The hackers also stole information about diplomatic issues, lurking undetected in some systems for months.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Federal authorities said the man lurking behind the cyclone fence was Routh.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Fifty years of neglect and ignorance has led us to this day when 4,500 homeless individuals are roaming our streets and subways.—
Lucius Riccio,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
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The nonprofit is a free-roaming shelter that has cared for homeless cats and kittens in the Denver area for over 35 years.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Some also accused unscrupulous recruitment agents or Russian colleagues of stealing from their bank accounts.—
Larry Madowo,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Vandals broke into a Catholic school in Long Beach overnight Monday, stealing church items, damaging statues and tossing the tabernacle to the ground, according to police and school officials.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Drivers cruising on Kansas City’s Main Street will need to steer clear of the new transit-only lanes or face a fine, as the city puts the brakes on unauthorized cars in streetcar and bus lanes.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2026
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The route is timed precisely to make the most of global weather patterns and the route ensures that the fleet experiences the best each location has to offer with plenty of cruising time at the end of each passage.—
Bill Springer,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mooching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooching. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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