bounty hunter

noun

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Definition of bounty hunter

1 : one who tracks down and captures outlaws for whom a reward is offered

2 : one who hunts predatory animals for the reward offered

See bounty hunter defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of bounty hunter from the Web

For over a year, an Ohio man posing as a federal agent and bounty hunter kidnapped people for reward money, according to federal prosecutors.

— cameron knight, Cincinnati.com, "Wannabe federal agent and bounty hunter 'Commander Hammond AKA The Crimson Wolf' convicted," 7 June 2018
The 10 Star Wars films since 1977 have given us an abundance of lightsabers, cosmic derring-do, the Force, bounty hunters, good guys, bad guys and porgs, but no onscreen lovemaking.

— brian truitt, USA TODAY, "We've got a good feeling about this: It's time for 'Star Wars' to have a sex scene," 30 May 2018
Decades later, in Return of the Jedi, Leia—disguised as a bounty hunter named Boussh—would pull the same trick with Jabba the Hutt while attempting to rescue Han, with similarly unsuccessful results.

— scott meslow, GQ, "Solo: A Star Wars Story: Everything You Might Have Missed," 26 May 2018
The character of Boba Fett has long enjoyed a Star Wars cult following due to his silent-and-violent existence as a bounty hunter in the series' original trilogy.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Boba Fett joins the insane pile of upcoming Star Wars film projects," 25 May 2018
In the bizarre video obtained by TMZ, the bounty hunter and his team barge into the home and, after a few minutes, find the actor in his underwear.

— morgan m. evans, Fox News, "Ex-Disney star Orlando Brown arrested in his underwear by bounty hunters," 13 Apr. 2018
To Clark, white adults role-playing Underground Railroad guides and bounty hunters made the re-enactment more historically accurate, mirroring the race of those parties during the time period.

— angie leventis lourgos, chicagotribune.com, "Students role-playing slaves in Underground Railroad simulation angers some parents; others praise lesson," 27 Apr. 2018
The final part of the dramatic puzzle is provided by Pauline (McGee), quite affecting as a young widow whose husband was a bounty hunter victim and who is desperate for revenge.

— kenneth turan, latimes.com, "Spaghetti western classic 'The Great Silence' makes its proper U.S. debut after 50 years," 26 Apr. 2018
According to video of the raid obtained by the outlet, Brown, 30, was hiding in a closet on the second floor of the residence when he was found by bounty hunters during their 6:30 a.m. raid.

— dave quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Former Disney Star Orlando Brown Arrested in His Underwear for an Outstanding Warrant: Report," 14 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bounty hunter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.