as in minion
disapproving
a trusted follower or supporter who performs unpleasant, wrong, or illegal tasks for a powerful person (such as a politician or criminal)
a gangster surrounded by his henchmen
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Recent Examples of henchman
Kyle’s wife, Tracy, suddenly leaves Kingstown for her sister’s home in Ohio this week, urged by Kyle and Mike to get herself and her baby as far away from Merle’s henchmen as possible.
—
Noel Murray, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2025
At a pivotal moment in the film, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) casts a spell on Fiyero in a desperate attempt to protect him from the pain and injury inflicted by the Wizard's henchmen.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Nov. 2025
Besides being mugged by one of Iza’s henchmen, a brick was thrown through his window and his car was vandalized.
—Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
The rebels, apparently satisfied with their loot, paid no mind as the women got into the second car, joining one of the Assad regime’s most notorious henchmen.
—Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
Noel Murray, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2025
At a pivotal moment in the film, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) casts a spell on Fiyero in a desperate attempt to protect him from the pain and injury inflicted by the Wizard's henchmen.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Nov. 2025
Besides being mugged by one of Iza’s henchmen, a brick was thrown through his window and his car was vandalized.
—Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
The rebels, apparently satisfied with their loot, paid no mind as the women got into the second car, joining one of the Assad regime’s most notorious henchmen.
—Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for henchman
Noun
-
Ackie mostly barks orders at her minions to go get him, while Nighy in his home plays the bad guy demanding blood.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
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His latest lesson was giving the finger to a worker at a Michigan auto plant who yelled at him for his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein controversy, thereby giving license to his minions to do the same in any conflict or disagreement.—
Bob Kustra,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Hippocrates and his disciples did not disbelieve in Asclepius, the god of medicine (or any other god).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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One of Blake’s disciples was a young Welsh writer who arrived in London in the 1880s and took a job trawling through a garret full of old occult books, writing descriptions for a publisher’s catalogue.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The return of his body closed a painful chapter for the country and cleared the way for the next and more challenging phase of the ceasefire, which calls for deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas, pulling back Israeli soldiers and rebuilding Gaza.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
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In November, researchers published findings about the deadly pathogens that ravaged Napoleon's soldiers during his doomed 1812 retreat from Russia.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Henchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/henchman. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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