Crossword Genius

Parasite finds shelter over church (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

leech

'parasite' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'shelter over church' is the wordplay.
'shelter' becomes 'lee' (I've seen this before).
'over' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'church' becomes 'ch' (common abbreviation).
'lee'+'ch'='LEECH'

'finds' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for leech that I've seen before include "Old physician" , "Blood-sucking worm or parasitical person" , "Worm - sponger" , "One who sponges on others" , "Proverbial bloodsucker" .)

I've seen this clue in The Hindu.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.