This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Thursday, September 24, 2026 (7 Across). The answer is hidden below until you want it. Thursday puzzles often have a trick, such as a rebus (several letters in one square) or answers that bend the rules.
Answer length: 5 squares
First letter
L _ _ _ _
First and last letters
L _ _ _ H
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About the answer
LEECH as a word: An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of subclass Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis; (figuratively) A person who derives advantage from others in a parasitic fashion.
LEECH has been an answer 3 times in the NYT Crossword and Mini since February 19, 2026.
Other clues with the same answer
More clues from this puzzle
- Slang for an Italian dish … or along with QI, the highest-value two-letter word in Scrabble (1 Across)
- Make an impression (3 Across)
- Blunder (12 Across)
- Recital pieces (14 Across)
- "Same here," more stiffly (16 Across)
- Canapé topping (17 Across)
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