1
as in drinking
to take in (something liquid) through small openings
the ground quickly sponged up the much-needed rain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sponging
Verb
-
So just fixing my diet, drinking a lot of water, stretching, moving every day, doing the right movements.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Oct. 2025 -
To paraphrase Fight Club, fighting becomes the reason to keep your nails short, to order salad instead of fries, and to stop drinking on weeknights.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But quite incredibly, the third and final chance went begging as Ozer saved superbly.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In a throwback to the warts-and-all silliness of the family’s legendary MTV reality show, The Osbournes, Coming Home appears to lean into the domestic comedy of the Osbourne clan, opening with a jittery Ozzy begging Sharon to stop driving in a herky-jerky manner.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Many are now enriched with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and botanical extracts, such as aloe, which help keep skin hydrated and balanced while clearing pores and absorbing excess oil.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Still, his creation keeps growing, absorbing our reality in the process.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Sponging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sponging. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share