sponge on

Idioms  

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]

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Example Sentences

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 • Nov. 14, 2022

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 • Jul. 18, 2022

At Madison’s studio, she found something beautiful to put her sponge on and much more.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 17, 2022

Hasbro's Pie Face game is built round a simple concept: put whipped cream, shaving foam or a wet sponge on the end of the lever, poke your head through the hole and turn the handles.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2015

But Johnny decided to sponge on neither—not until he had a job, and something a lot better than delivering papers for Uncle Lome.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Related Words

• bite
• call on
• hustle
• scrounge