Synonyms of panhandler

panhandler

noun

as in beggar

a person who lives by public begging

a panhandler asking for money to buy food

Synonyms & Similar Words

• beggar
• mendicant
• hobo
• drifter
• bum
• waif
• pauper
• urchin
• miserable
• bohemian
• guttersnipe
• tramp
• parasite
• vagrant
• vagabond
• clochard
• dependent
• sponge
• sponger
• leech
• moocher
• cadger
• hanger-on
• deadbeat
• derelict
• idler
• bludger
• schnorrer
• ne'er-do-well

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of panhandler

Some worry about robots replacing human jobs, even panhandlers. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Cops have released photos of a suspect wanted for gunning down a panhandler inside a Manhattan 7-Eleven last week, in hopes someone recognizes him. — Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026

But in a plea reached in September, Alameda County prosecutors allowed Frederic, an Orlando resident, to plead no contest to a lesser offense of obstructing a public roadway, a misdemeanor count more typically associated with the prosecution of aggressive panhandlers. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025

Attorneys argued Glendale's rules were overly broad and discriminatorily enforced against impoverished panhandlers, and should have applied equally to high school sports teams holding signs advertising a car wash, or Girl Scouts selling cookies, attorneys said. — Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 23 Sep. 2025

But locals can add a couple of dismaying icons to that roster — homeless tents and panhandlers. — Kevin Fagan, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2016