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
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
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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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The Blue Jays have been begging for a spark for the last six games, anything to reignite an offence and bring home a win.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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From the colorful pattern to the movement of her blouse, every inch of Hudson's outfit is begging to be worn during a breezy brunch outside with friends.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Iron Maiden, finally sneaking Eddie past the Hall’s metal block.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
15 Apr. 2026
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Similar to Chen, Bill Gates learned to code at about age 13, sneaking into his school’s computer lab at night to practice.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These suede clog mules are an easy choice for everything, including early bakery runs, long travel days, and wandering through mountain towns.—
Paris Wilson,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
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The two-day search for a missing 12-year-old girl came to a surprising end when she was discovered wandering a Dollar General store, according to investigators in North Carolina.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Apr. 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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There are, as usual, treasures lurking in the gathering of films being offered at this year’s Doc10 documentary film festival.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
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There’s often a wise teacher lurking in the past — in this case a teacher who advises the future actor on his name.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Less than four years later, Dubón will be back in center field and assured there would be no hesitation roaming the green grass Saturday against the Guardians.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
11 Apr. 2026
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Others went back to roaming the hillsides with their livestock.—
Julie Bourdin,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While there, the duo is accused of going into another hotel room, then stealing cash and designer bags worth tens of thousands of dollars, one Hermes bag valued at $32,000.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Set in an Aztec world, young Mexica warrior Xilactzin, accused of stealing sacred bones, crosses to the Mictlan underworld to retrieve them and battle the goddess of darkness, Itzpapalotl.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As for Mitan, the yacht will now spend seven to eight months cruising south towards Mexico, calling at multiple anchorages along the way.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2026
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The Gears were cruising when the league declared bankruptcy and evaporated the next November.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mooching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooching. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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