sponged

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
  • That roughly mirrors our own finding of what crops actually drank, based on the state’s study of satellite data.
    Emily Cureton Cook, ProPublica, 26 June 2026
  • One by one, from Rhode Island to Georgia, rioters in each colony pillaged collectors’ wine cellars, drank all their liquor and forced them to publicly resign.
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Following the settlement, McAfee wrote to Martin to apologize, but also begged her to move on.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
  • Zayn, then, begged for Rhodes’ honesty.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • In fact, the Department of Energy estimates that about 76 percent of the sunlight that hits a standard double-pane window is absorbed as heat, making things hotter.
    Molly Burford, Southern Living, 22 June 2026
  • First, its molecules prefer to sit on the surface of the skin rather than being more readily absorbed into the bloodstream, which can occur for some formulations.
    Guy German, Fortune, 21 June 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 1 Jul. 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