Thesaurus results for MOOCHING

mooching

verb

present participle of mooch

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

Relevance

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

as in wandering

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

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

Fans have been begging Carey to free Someone’s Ugly Daughter from the archives for years, with the album currently existing only under the pseudonym Chick with Clarissa Dane on vocals instead of Mimi.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2026
A couple of passing witches in distressed fish-nets aww-ed at the sight of the dog begging for the second half of his cone.

— Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of begging

Verb

Bus noise was a similar story, with the low engine rumble handled well and only some of the higher-frequency intermittent sounds sneaking through.

— Christian de Looper, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
For a solid thirty minutes, the candidates defended their honor as the race’s most pro-Israel candidate — at times sneaking in jabs about their opponent.

— Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of sneaking

Verb

The British manufacturer may have realized that the typical Tiger 1200 spends considerably more time eating up highway miles, tackling daily commutes and wandering along the occasional gravel track than navigating genuinely challenging terrain.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
Vision, meanwhile, explores a more attenuated past by wandering through basement rooms, connecting with AIs spanning the history of his lineage.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of wandering

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

Definition of freeloading

Verb

Every facet of India’s topography, from lush grasslands filled with antelopes to gnarled forests with tigers and evil spirits lurking around every corner, is on full display.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026
The Beast, or some Beast-like relative, also has been seen in Milwaukee, outside a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Lake Geneva and, across the state line, in Antioch, Galena and lurking near the Great Lakes Naval Station in Lake County.

— Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of lurking

Verb

For families Families are welcomed here with a friendly, low-key attitude that has delighted kids roaming free through the open spaces.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
The department’s all-points-bulletin asking the public to report a lone and roaming ewe may not produce any sightings.

— Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of roaming

Verb

With the Rays trailing 2-1 after Liam Hicks' RBI groundout in the fourth, Mesa was caught stealing third for the final out of the fifth with slugger Yandy Díaz at the plate.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Continue reading … DIRTY POLITICS — Antifa supporter charged with stealing GOP campaign signs in NY race to replace Stefanik.

— , FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of stealing

Verb

At home, Pritzker appears to be cruising toward a third term in a rematch with GOP nominee Darren Bailey.

— Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Developed in partnership with Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design, the new Oyster P60 combines the space and stability of a multihull with the cruising capabilities of an offshore yacht.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of cruising

Browse Nearby Words

mooches

mooching

mood

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mooching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooching. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of mooching

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

abandon

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes