as in minions
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 henchmen
Now, Lilith must team up with Cinderella to fight biker trolls, outrun evil henchmen, and escape the Screaming Woods.
—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
23 June 2026
Launched in early 1982, the original MOTU line-up saw He-Man and Skeletor joined by heroes Teela (at this point, the only female character), Man-at-Arms and Stratos; the morally ambiguous Zodac; and a couple of Skeletor's henchmen, Beast Man and Mer-Man.
—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
The remoteness of their surroundings is no accident; one of these characters is fleeing an inconvenient past, which returns with a vengeance in the form of a beefy sadist (Benoît Magimel) and his two hostage-taking henchmen.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 May 2026
Competing alongside two Americans, Roper (John Saxon) and Williams (Jim Kelly), Lee methodically dispatches Han’s henchmen and avenges his sister’s death in the process.
—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
20 May 2026
The silent henchmen opened the Lada’s back door and got in beside me, leaving the passenger seat empty.
—
Abraham Jiménez Enoa,
The Dial,
19 May 2026
Jai Courtney will play Rob-Will, a ranch foreman and one of Beulah Jackson’s henchmen.
—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Key witnesses in the government’s case included Spann’s top henchmen, who cooperated with prosecutors in hopes for leniency.
—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
This is potentially disastrous, given that Josh is now in the custody of the chairwoman’s henchmen.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
23 June 2026
Launched in early 1982, the original MOTU line-up saw He-Man and Skeletor joined by heroes Teela (at this point, the only female character), Man-at-Arms and Stratos; the morally ambiguous Zodac; and a couple of Skeletor's henchmen, Beast Man and Mer-Man.
—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
The remoteness of their surroundings is no accident; one of these characters is fleeing an inconvenient past, which returns with a vengeance in the form of a beefy sadist (Benoît Magimel) and his two hostage-taking henchmen.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 May 2026
Competing alongside two Americans, Roper (John Saxon) and Williams (Jim Kelly), Lee methodically dispatches Han’s henchmen and avenges his sister’s death in the process.
—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
20 May 2026
The silent henchmen opened the Lada’s back door and got in beside me, leaving the passenger seat empty.
—
Abraham Jiménez Enoa,
The Dial,
19 May 2026
Jai Courtney will play Rob-Will, a ranch foreman and one of Beulah Jackson’s henchmen.
—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Key witnesses in the government’s case included Spann’s top henchmen, who cooperated with prosecutors in hopes for leniency.
—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
This is potentially disastrous, given that Josh is now in the custody of the chairwoman’s henchmen.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for henchmen
Noun
-
The world premiere on Sunday – in the presence of Illumination boss Chris Meledandri and director Pierre Coffin, who is also the origin of the minions’ unintelligible chatter – kicks off one of the biggest Annecy Film Festival’s yet.
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The two key attractions include the Bello Bay Cruise river rapids ride where yellow minions face off against purple minions and the Bello Bay Golf Cart Derby teacups ride.
Noun
-
Hamer signed up and, through her courage, charisma, and oratory, quickly drew ardent disciples and ruthless adversaries.
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Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt are his overwhelmed disciples, imbued with discomfiting powers that could be key to making contact with these otherworldly guests.
Noun
-
Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the truce.
-
All the other Buzz toys follow suit, dropping into the playground like soldiers descending into battle, and the rest of the kids all excitedly grab one to play with.
Cite this Entry
“Henchmen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/henchmen. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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