This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Thursday, February 19, 2026 (51 Down). 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
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