1
as in drinking
to take in (something liquid) through small openings
the ground quickly sponged up the much-needed rain
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in begging
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
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Recent Examples of sponging
While the sponging industry has diminished over the years (largely because most modern-day consumers use artificial versions for dish scrubbing and housecleaning), there’s still a considerable market for the natural ones, especially in Europe.
—
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sponging
Verb
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Galloway is a happy user of both substances, and treats drinking as a pleasure best enjoyed in youth.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
New Yorker,
29 Jan. 2026
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Advice for preventing or treating UTIs has long focused on diet — think cranberry juice, avoiding coffee or drinking more water.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead of calling and begging somebody else to change.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
21 Jan. 2026
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Nearly two decades into her career, Courtney Marie Andrews remains a troubadour of singular sincerity, more interested in listening to the world than begging the world to listen.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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They are expected to deliver essential services while absorbing funding delays, underpaid contracts, and rising costs with little margin for error.—
Cat Ward,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Time spent on the job is both the biggest expense and the hardest to accurately gauge, leaving firms to choose between surprising clients with a larger bill or absorbing the additional cost.—
Danielle Higley,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 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
Cite this Entry
“Sponging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sponging. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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