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
Think of Hitler’s top henchmen — Hermann Goring, Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Goebbels, Rudolf Hess, Albert Speer, Karl Donitz — all of them as, if not more, fanatical and sadistic than Hitler, eager to carry out his orders, wielding considerable power on their own to wreak havoc and sow destruction.
—
Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2025
The indictment was part of the same case originally filed in Chicago in 2009 against El Chapo himself as well as many of his top henchmen, which is widely considered the largest narcotics case ever brought in Chicago.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Nina gets free just in time, only to find Saxton and Jim battling a ballet of bullets with Sal’s men — a firefight that gets Saxton’s blunt-force henchman Billy (Evan Jones) shot through the eye.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 4 July 2025
Why have a young man who looks exactly the same as the monolithic blockheads who are Perón’s followers and henchmen?
—Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2025
The indictment was part of the same case originally filed in Chicago in 2009 against El Chapo himself as well as many of his top henchmen, which is widely considered the largest narcotics case ever brought in Chicago.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Nina gets free just in time, only to find Saxton and Jim battling a ballet of bullets with Sal’s men — a firefight that gets Saxton’s blunt-force henchman Billy (Evan Jones) shot through the eye.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 4 July 2025
Why have a young man who looks exactly the same as the monolithic blockheads who are Perón’s followers and henchmen?
—Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for henchman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for henchman
Noun
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What made Armani’s designs so appealing to Ovitz and his minions wasn’t just their confident power-suit cut.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
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Vex can use that energy to empower herself, or channel it to conjure deadly minions that fight alongside her.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Domènec Sugrañes, one of Gaudí’s disciples, was named the site’s next architect.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
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The relationships of House of McQueen’s hero to his mother (Emily Skinner) and his early disciple, patron, and confidante, the great fashion-world fairy godmother Isabella Blow (Catherine LeFrere), are sketched with similar thinness.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Guard may have worn out its welcome, but soldiers were still assigned to the region.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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The Netzah Yehuda Battalion, formerly Nahal Haredi, enables Haredi men to serve as combat soldiers while observing strict religious practices.—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Henchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/henchman. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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