No leech managed to make the grade (7)
I believe the answer is:
echelon
'the grade' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'no leech managed' is the wordplay.
'managed' indicates an anagram.
'no'+'leech'='noleech'
'noleech' is an anagram of 'ECHELON'.
'to make' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for echelon that I've seen before include "Degree" , "Military stepped formation" , "Rank - status" , "Bishops, say" , "Leech on (anag.)" .)