mooch

verb

ˈmüch How to pronounce mooch (audio)
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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 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
  1. beg
  2. sneak
  3. wander
  4. freeload
  5. lurk
  6. roam
  7. steal
  8. stroll
Verb
  • Maybe we are left with begging for mercy, or readying for the fight.
    — Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The couple quickly went public, begging for information or for whomever might have taken her to leave her at a hospital, church, a fire station.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of beg
Verb
  • But a better travel pillow does all that and sneaks an extra day’s worth of clothing onto the plane without catching a gate agent’s attention.
    — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2025
  • How did Passover and Easter sneak up on us so fast?
    — Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • On Monday night, a glittering crowd stepped out to celebrate the store’s opening, before heading over to Palazzo Serbelloni to wander through its halls and take in the homewares collection.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2025
  • That means that future missions to Titan will have a rough time tracking down any solitary microbes that might be wandering about.
    — David Szondy, New Atlas, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of wander
Verb
  • Dreux has entrusted Alyssa with delivering Uche’s money before the first of the month—but instead, Alyssa has asked her layabout, freeloading boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua David Neal) to put the money in Uche’s hands.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 Apr. 2025
  • If only Alyssa hadn’t entrusted the money to her freeloading boyfriend, Keshawn (Joshua David Neal).
    — Natalia Winkelman, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Definition of freeload
Verb
  • Right behind each of them are the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies, just lurking as the season winds down.
    — Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2025
  • These methods can easily miss deeper behavioral indicators that would signal a malicious payload lurking beneath the surface.
    — Alex Vakulov, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • According to the American Emu Association, the birds — which are native to Australia — are often considered livestock, and it's usually recommended that owners have at least one acre of land for the bird to roam.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • This is The Wild Animal Sanctuary, where more than 450 animals brought to Colorado’s eastern plains get a second chance to roam.
    — Sarah Matusek, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of roam
Verb
  • Coop is fired from his high-profile finance job, starts stealing from his wealthy neighbors to keep up his lifestyle, chaos ensues, and get your popcorn ready.
    — Danielle Pergament, SELF, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Tom Richard Santos with John of Sherwood: After the death of Robin Hood, a grieving Little John returns to his ancestral Celtic tribe to protect it from the corrupt Church bent on stealing its land — and to confront the dark truth of his crimes as a Merry Man.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of steal
Verb
  • Bravo’s comments about Woodley come after the pair were first spotted strolling in Paris together last month.
    — Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Spend an afternoon strolling around downtown’s Market Square and enjoying the ample greenspace at World’s Fair Park.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2025
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 21 Apr. 2025.

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