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
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Crappie like to hover below their prey, fining in place and examining slow-swimming invertebrates such as damselfly, dragonfly, and mayfly nymphs, as well as small leeches.
—Cory Schmidt, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2026
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
Part of what makes leeches so effective at blood-sucking is that their saliva has uniquely anesthetic and anticoagulant properties, so they’ve been used for thousands of years for folk medicines in Asia and Eastern Europe.
—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
Noun
The wetland habitats of Condylura cristata are rich in small-bodied invertebrates — earthworms, leeches, aquatic insect larvae — but the individual caloric value of each prey item is low.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Crappie like to hover below their prey, fining in place and examining slow-swimming invertebrates such as damselfly, dragonfly, and mayfly nymphs, as well as small leeches.
—Cory Schmidt, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2026
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
Part of what makes leeches so effective at blood-sucking is that their saliva has uniquely anesthetic and anticoagulant properties, so they’ve been used for thousands of years for folk medicines in Asia and Eastern Europe.
—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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leeches
parasites
Noun
-
After being tested for airtightness, helium was pumped into the glass enclosure through thin tubes inserted into the lead lining, to protect the document from corrosive oxygen and parasites.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
-
Always wear gloves before handling nests to protect yourself from any germs or parasites.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leeches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leeches. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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