mooch

verb

ˈmüch 
Definition of 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

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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
as in to wander
to move about from place to place aimlessly kids on vacation mooching about the house and looking for something to do

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Parasites was the name given to those who arrived late to the party and mooched off the remains. — John Mariani, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025 Rachel Morin's 'bum' killer mooched off locals before murdering mom of five, lawyer says. — FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for mooch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mooch
  1. beg
  2. sneak
  3. wander
  4. freeload
  5. lurk
  6. roam
  7. steal
  8. stroll
Verb
  • The title was the name of a red-haired, green-eyed young fan Parton met signing autographs, and the story of a woman begging a rival to leave her man alone.
    — RJ Smith, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Finally, after years of begging from golf fans, the PGA Tour is introducing match play to its postseason beginning in 2028.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of beg
Verb
  • Police are investigating a rash of incidents involving people sneaking out of sewers.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • And new species join the party regularly, as bad pet owners release their charges into the wild or stowaways sneak in from far-off countries.
    — Alex Harris August 25, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • However, what about rogue planets that wander interstellar space alone?
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • This strange girl who wanders around alone in the middle of nowhere and then enters a house that belongs to gentle bears.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of wander
Verb
  • However, no data center should be freeloading on my constituents in the form of higher electricity bills.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of freeload
Verb
  • Regardless of whether mines still lurk in the water, Iran's threat to attack ships has kept traffic to a minimum.
    — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Superstitious Romans imagined demons lurking in the darkness under the toilet seats.
    — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • In a world that’s been ravaged by a virus, with many living on the skids, survivors face roaming scavengers called Reapers.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Her book’s beauty reminds me of the pleasures of the freely roaming mind.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of roam
Verb
  • In 1950, just before the LSU-Tulane game, Brown said a Tulane student, Norbert James, and his buddy stole LSU’s Mike the Tiger the night before their football game.
    — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The nectar contains grayanotoxin, a chemical the plant likely evolved to deter insects that steal nectar without pollinating the flower.
    — Prayan Pokharel, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of steal
Verb
  • In 2018, the real-estate agent Glenn Rice was strolling on the beach and noticed the place.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Fairgoers strolling the grounds were also likely to run into House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who won the Republican primary for governor earlier this month and will face Klobuchar in November.
    — Esme Murphy, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of stroll

Browse Nearby Words

moo
mooch
mooched
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Cite this Entry

“Mooch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mooch. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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