mooch

Definition of moochnext
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

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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 Suleman also opened up about her financial insecurity in the early 2010s and how the media painted her to be mooching off the government. Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 8 Mar. 2025 Anyway, my friend and I were able to mooch a ride from him to that wonderful institution known as LAX, land of inconvenience, confusion, disdain and dirty bathrooms. Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 26 Feb. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for mooch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mooch
Verb
  • At the end of regret-flow plotlines, husbands tend to beg their wives for forgiveness by dropping to their knees.
    Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Rollins stormed off the set, leaving Brandt and the rest of his co-hosts stunned, with the latter begging the former to return and finish his segment.
    Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Scott Roche’s unlikely road to semi-pro football began with prodding from his players, followed by sneaking into a high school stadium to practice.
    Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
  • While others sneak photos of Newsom, a cluster of New York Times reporters just feet away are opting to forgo watching the governor hold court —and are instead watching the Lakers do so.
    Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The back parking lot, once a nasty no man’s land where drunken customers wandered off to urinate, has recently been transformed into a performance space that has hosted small gigs including Duane Betts.
    Jimmy Jellinek, SPIN, 27 Apr. 2026
  • But, as Chen and Shrivastava wandered a Texas restaurant conference, a Dallas heating and air company called Rescue Air found them.
    Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Verb
  • The Audacity creator Jonathan Glatzer and star Billy Magnussen, who plays wealthy tech CEO Duncan Park, took the stage at Deadline Contenders TV to talk about taking the tech monster lurking in the shadows and those responsible for its existence, and turning it into a comedy.
    Amanda Champagne-Meadows, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2026
  • With savings up to 86 percent on complete sets and lots of cooling options for warm nights, there are some major bedding deals lurking on the site.
    Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Now, on her seventh studio album, Middle of Nowhere, Musgraves is letting the wind take her all the way back home, to a place where there’s no cell service, bulls roam freely, and gorgeous pedal steel guitars are plentiful.
    Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Escaped inmates roamed the streets of New Orleans under the watch of surveillance cameras.
    Patrick Smith, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Along with Lee, second baseman Luis Arraez collected three hits and stole his team-leading fourth base of the season.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The senior right-hander gave up a two-out single in the fifth but that runner was thrown out trying to steal second.
    Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Every once in a while, the TV would display the now ubiquitous images of Suspect One and Suspect Two, who had been caught by surveillance cameras, wearing backpacks and strolling near the finish line moments before the explosions.
    Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Spend the day at the lifeguarded beach and stroll the three-mile boardwalk along the oceanfront for loads of action, from street entertainers and live music to bike rentals and ice cream shops.
    Kara Williams, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mooch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooch. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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