1
as in drinking
to take in (something liquid) through small openings
the ground quickly sponged up the much-needed rain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in begging
to live by relying on someone else's generosity or hospitality without sharing in the cost or responsibility
she's been sponging off of her friends while she tries to land an entry-level job on Wall Street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sponging
While the sponging industry has diminished over the years (largely because most modern-day consumers use artificial versions for dish scrubbing and housecleaning), there’s still a considerable market for the natural ones, especially in Europe.
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Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sponging
Verb
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The continuum of problem drinking There aren’t just two types of drinkers –– those who have a problem and those who don’t have to worry about it, Dick said.—
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But generally, fewer people are seeking out these whales, so fewer are being made, partly because people are not drinking as many high-octane, high alcohol beers.—
Verb
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Those in charge — as in charge as anybody can be with every policy just a judge’s ruling away from being null and void — have been begging Congress for help for years, but to no avail.—
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His parents also pleaded with him to drop the weapon while begging the cops not to shoot their son.—
Verb
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Plant sterols and stanols block the body from absorbing cholesterol.—
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What has emerged for now is a system that survived by adapting, absorbing pressure, and recalibrating external relationships while preserving its internal foundations.—
Verb
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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.—
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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.—
Cite this Entry
“Sponging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sponging. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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