as in parasites
a person who is supported by or seeks support from another without making an adequate return
finally told the sponge to move out of their house and to get a job
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sponges
Sandy Ong, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025
Nutrients from the Orinoco Delta make the waters particularly enticing to marine life and also help the island’s barrel sponges grow especially huge.
—Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 11 Sep. 2025
Nellie’s 3-Pack Swedish Dishcloths These Swedish dishcloths reduce the need for both sponges and single-use paper towels.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
Don't make the mistake of using abrasive cleaning products or scrubber sponges on your mixer.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
In Australia, bottle-nose dolphins use tools like sea sponges to uncover hidden fish and conch shells to trap prey.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Wetlands are natural sponges, soaking up excess rainwater and slowly releasing it over time.
—Howard Learner, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Many of its delightful products are made on site, like comforters, pillows, wool sponges, and more.
—Katy Spratte Joyce, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
When scientists revisited the site more than 40 years later, the scars were still sharply visible, and the disturbed areas remained largely devoid of the sponges, corals, and starfish that had once lived there.
—Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
This microgel, Cho believes, could be a versatile building block for many eco-friendly materials, including paper, film, and sponges.
—Sandy Ong, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025
Nutrients from the Orinoco Delta make the waters particularly enticing to marine life and also help the island’s barrel sponges grow especially huge.
—Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 11 Sep. 2025
Nellie’s 3-Pack Swedish Dishcloths These Swedish dishcloths reduce the need for both sponges and single-use paper towels.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
Don't make the mistake of using abrasive cleaning products or scrubber sponges on your mixer.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
In Australia, bottle-nose dolphins use tools like sea sponges to uncover hidden fish and conch shells to trap prey.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Wetlands are natural sponges, soaking up excess rainwater and slowly releasing it over time.
—Howard Learner, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Many of its delightful products are made on site, like comforters, pillows, wool sponges, and more.
—Katy Spratte Joyce, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
When scientists revisited the site more than 40 years later, the scars were still sharply visible, and the disturbed areas remained largely devoid of the sponges, corals, and starfish that had once lived there.
—Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sponges
Noun
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The Deadly Kissing Bug, or an infected triatomine insect, are infected by Trypanosoma cruzi parasites.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
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Tracking the spread of parasites and diseases in wild moose populations helps wildlife managers preserve those populations and reduce the spread to other animals or livestock.—
Jessie Richards,
The Conversation,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The shop is also selling the popular fall drinks Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Chai.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Sep. 2025
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Despite being more than 55% ABV, the amber whiskey drinks way below its proof point, and has a rich, playful nose.—
Andy Vasoyan,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Day begs Dusk to see what Demerzel’s sacrifice meant.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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Alternating between Laura and Cherry’s stark perspectives adds to the fun of the series that begs to be binged.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The small-mouth bass go for the leeches, too.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
23 Aug. 2025
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Her book Saving Fish from Drowning, from drowning features a number of leeches.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This type of fiber absorbs water, helping stool to pass through the digestive system.—
Amber J. Tresca,
Verywell Health,
10 Sep. 2025
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This results because Earth's atmosphere absorbs relatively short wavelengths of light, letting only the longer-wavelength reddish hues through to paint the lunar surface.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sponges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sponges. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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