as in parasites
a person who is supported by or seeks support from another without making an adequate return
whenever the gang went out for pizza, the leech in the group always had an excuse for not paying his fair share
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Recent Examples of leeches
Nicole Young, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Dysmenorrhea might be treated by placing leeches on the abdomen to increase blood loss.
—Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
In an effort to save Cathy, doctors place leeches over her body in hopes of removing the bad blood.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Even in modern medicine, the practice isn’t obsolete; doctors sometimes apply live leeches after reconstructive surgery to keep blood from clotting in flaps of tissue.
—Blair Braverman, Outside, 21 Jan. 2026
The ancestors of leeches were unlikely to have sucked blood.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Once the workplace of Revolutionary War figure General Hugh Mercer, the recreated 18th-century pharmacy and doctor’s office is filled with tinctures, leeches, and surgical tools, all explained by costumed interpreters.
—Madeline Weinfield, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
The small-mouth bass go for the leeches, too.
—Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
The jungle, in the Truong Son range between Laos and the South China Sea, is home to tigers and leeches.
—Nicole Young, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Dysmenorrhea might be treated by placing leeches on the abdomen to increase blood loss.
—Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
In an effort to save Cathy, doctors place leeches over her body in hopes of removing the bad blood.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Even in modern medicine, the practice isn’t obsolete; doctors sometimes apply live leeches after reconstructive surgery to keep blood from clotting in flaps of tissue.
—Blair Braverman, Outside, 21 Jan. 2026
The ancestors of leeches were unlikely to have sucked blood.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Once the workplace of Revolutionary War figure General Hugh Mercer, the recreated 18th-century pharmacy and doctor’s office is filled with tinctures, leeches, and surgical tools, all explained by costumed interpreters.
—Madeline Weinfield, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
The small-mouth bass go for the leeches, too.
—Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leeches
parasites
Noun
-
Yesterday's [podcast] was on interspecific brood parasites.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
-
After decades of snubbing fungi as parasites or passive tubes, the escalating tally of their functions has led researchers to consider mycorrhizae a missing link in climate studies.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leeches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leeches. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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