mooch

1
as in to beg
to live by relying on someone else's generosity or hospitality without sharing in the cost or responsibility he's always mooching off of his friends, even though he can easily pay his own way

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to sneak
to move about in a sly or secret manner I suspect she's mooching around in the background and keeping an eye on us

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of mooch China’s Silicon Valley–slayer may have mooched off Silicon Valley after all. Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2025 Her family wants to mooch off her success while also criticizing her success. Lydia Patrick, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025 The exchange seemed to show real feelings and judgments — that the Europeans are mooching and that any American military action, no matter how clearly in American interests as well, should be somehow paid for by other beneficiaries. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025 Not for Chelsea, obviously, whom he’s already once told to go find a richer boyfriend to mooch off. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mooch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mooch
Verb
  • Continue reading … 'DON’T DO IT' – 'The View' host begs music legend to snub Trump's Kennedy Center honor.
    , FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2025
  • His home run in Milwaukee last October likely kept him in a Mets uniform this season, with the fans begging the club to sign their homegrown hero.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Frances Haugen, a Facebook product manager turned whistleblower, snuck over ten thousand pages of documents and internal messages out of Facebook headquarters.
    Noah Giansiracusa, Time, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Throughout Season 1, fans speculated that Tyler may be a potential love interest for Wednesday Addams, showing early interest in her and even sneaking out of Nevermore together.
    Vincent Perella, IndieWire, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • There are also shots of Slurp wandering through a Christmas carnival, Tyler hiding in what appears to be a sewer before emerging back into civilization in a cloak, and Enid nervously wielding a sword.
    Selome Hailu, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Kids and adults can take part in homesteading classes, check out a show in the 30-foot planetarium dome, participate in seasonal programming, or simply wander around the properties’ six historic buildings, including a drugstore, school, church, and cabin.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • After less than 24 hours on the ground in the Netherlands, Trump headed back to Washington having secured a major policy change he's pushed for since 2017: a significant boost in defense spending by other NATO countries that the president has for years accused of freeloading off the United States.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 June 2025
  • And, more broadly, that work requirements incentivize people to work and prevent able-bodied, working-age people from freeloading off of hard-working Americans.
    Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • The moon will sweep close to the Pleiades open star cluster in the early morning hours of Aug. 16-17, with the ice giant Uranus lurking unseen nearby.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Mike Appel led the session from behind the board, with the engineer Louis Lahav at his side and a scattering of staff, friends, and other hangers-on lurking here and there.
    Peter Ames Carlin, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Four other systems roamed the Atlantic basin before Erin – Andrea, Barry, Chantal and Dexter – but none were stronger than a tropical storm.
    Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2025
  • The saiga antelope roams the Eurasian steppe of Central Asia.
    Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The gaming community was hit with another delay of Grand Theft Auto 6 earlier this year and that means those who were hoping to spend the fall months stealing cars and evading the police are needing something to fill that void.
    Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The Thunder star and Converse stole the show that weekend, making their presence felt all over the city with signage and an epic pop-up that gave fans a first look at the SHAI 001 in person.
    Nick Crain, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Shop and stroll Pier Park’s open-air district, where flagship stores mingle with unique boutiques, live entertainment, and waterfront dining.
    Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Make your way up to the college town of New Paltz and eat, shop, stroll and experience some of the most vivid, colorful foliage the East coast has to offer.
    Josh Max, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mooch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooch. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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