as in parasites
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for free riders
Noun
-
Greenland Sharks Are Effective Hunters Many Greenland sharks are partially blind due to parasites on their eyes.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026 -
In the second stage, the parasites invade the brain and central nervous system, causing severe neurological problems including confusion, dramatic disruptions to sleep patterns and, in advanced cases, coma.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That is, until Krypto is poisoned by the henchmen of villain Krem of the Yellow Hills, with only three days to save him.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Researchers argued that career anxiety under autocracy creates both pro-regime henchmen and anti-regime plotters.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Free riders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free%20riders. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
