sponge on

1. Also, sponge off. Impose on another's hospitality or generosity, as in He's been sponging on relatives for the past year. This expression uses sponge in the sense of “to soak up something.” [Late 1600s]

Example Sentences

This ideology depends on the notion that immigrants are raiding the public purse by sponging on public services.

From Los Angeles Times

"We'd be given smelling salts, sponge on the neck, back out and play," he said.

From BBC

Their mouths are “almost like if you had a pool noodle with a sponge on the end,” Andy Gloss, an evolutionary biologist at New York University, said.

From New York Times

For homeowners trying to treat pet accidents on their own, the best way is to sponge on clean water, then blot it out by spreading a clean, dry towel over the area and pressing down.

From Washington Post

Food Code does not recommend using sponges on surfaces that have been cleaned, sanitized or are at that moment in contact with food.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• bite 
• call on 
• hustle 
• scrounge