sponged

Definition of spongednext
past tense of sponge
1
as in drank
to take in (something liquid) through small openings the ground quickly sponged up the much-needed rain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in begged
to live by relying on someone else's generosity or hospitality without sharing in the cost or responsibility she's been sponging off of her friends while she tries to land an entry-level job on Wall Street

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sponged
Verb
  • Lehman admitted in earlier testimony the pair drank and did some drugs, including marijuana, earlier that evening.
    Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Participants drank soda and ate cookies while listening to Dropkick Murphys, a Boston punk band that Platner likes.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • As the North bore down on Saigon, Thieu begged for American financial support, but Congress was in no mood to pour more millions into the black hole of Southeast Asia.
    Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
  • The Tua Tagovailoa/Mike McDaniel era ultimately failed, now Dolfans are being begged for yet more patience as the onerous burden of Tagovailoa’s contract impinges on the rebuild.
    Greg Cote April 6, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Both Trotsky and Paul get absorbed in quarrelsome dialectics and in point-scoring built around minute differences.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
  • The system absorbed the strike.
    Winston Ma, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sponged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sponged. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on sponged

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster