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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of leeches
Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
Her book Saving Fish from Drowning, from drowning features a number of leeches.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
They get thrown into this lurid serial killer manhunt of an elusive murderer who collects body parts and uses leeches for insane reasons.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
The small-mouth bass go for the leeches, too.
—Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
Her book Saving Fish from Drowning, from drowning features a number of leeches.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
They get thrown into this lurid serial killer manhunt of an elusive murderer who collects body parts and uses leeches for insane reasons.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leeches
parasites
Noun
-
The Deadly Kissing Bug, or an infected triatomine insect, are infected by Trypanosoma cruzi parasites.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Tracking the spread of parasites and diseases in wild moose populations helps wildlife managers preserve those populations and reduce the spread to other animals or livestock.—
Jessie Richards,
The Conversation,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leeches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leeches. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share