free rider

as in parasite
a person who is supported by or seeks support from another without making an adequate return During their fundraising campaign, the public radio station encouraged listeners not to be free riders.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for free rider
Noun
  • He and some Prodigy soldiers are sent to the Maginot crash site to look for survivors, but two of them are quickly picked off by a blood-sucking parasite.
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Unbeknownst to them, that stomach issue was actually a parasite.
    Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • There are a set of nationwide rules already in place for SNAP benefits: general work requirements and additional ones for able-bodied adults without dependents.
    Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2025
  • About 60 percent among households that report tipped income from workers who are not dependents.
    Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • For dried or sticky grease, Marshall suggests switching to dish soap diluted in water and rubbing gently with a soft sponge or microfiber cloth.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The lesson is to let the film be like a sponge that attracts what happens in the world at that moment and captures it.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Nina gets free just in time, only to find Saxton and Jim battling a ballet of bullets with Sal’s men — a firefight that gets Saxton’s blunt-force henchman Billy (Evan Jones) shot through the eye.
    Hunter Ingram, Variety, 4 July 2025
  • The wretched music alone is worth it, as is Victor Von Doom's henchman, who sounds like a little kid trying to impersonate Dracula.
    Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 25 July 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Free rider.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free%20rider. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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