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
Byron W. Dalrymple, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026
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
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
Noun
The fact is that leeches are relished by everything from walleyes and bass to trout and all the panfish.
—Byron W. Dalrymple, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leeches
parasites
Noun
-
The parasites prefer humid areas where temperatures are at least 77 F (25 C), and those days are increasing further north.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
-
Many arrived underweight, with skin issues, extensive fur loss (suspected to be from being exposed to the weather and outdoor elements) and significant external and internal parasites.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leeches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leeches. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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