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
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
The franchise began with Despicable Me, which introduced Steve Carell as Gru, a supervillain accompanied by small, yellow, gibberish-speaking henchmen known as the Minions.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
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
The franchise began with Despicable Me, which introduced Steve Carell as Gru, a supervillain accompanied by small, yellow, gibberish-speaking henchmen known as the Minions.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for henchmen
Noun
-
Aniello, who directed both bookend episodes, replicates her own long, dynamic shot from the series premiere, which tracks Deborah from the closing joke of her zillionth Vegas set, through a backstage warren of minions and admirers, to her dressing room.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 May 2026
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Your president and his minions spread war, chaos, lies and economic instability.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hijras often seek out a guru, an older and more experienced hijra, to become their chelas, or disciples.—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
-
Other Lynn disciples poured into the ranks.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
26 May 2026
Noun
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Crow and Creepy, the call signs of two soldiers from the 24th Mechanized Brigade, have spent 344 and 334 days respectively, non-stop, in frontline dugouts.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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Ishikawa herself worked in one of the bars that served Black soldiers, at a time when most establishments were segregated.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Henchmen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/henchmen. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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