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
-
The evil force of Skeletor (Jared Leto), a bad bad man with no face, brings his minions in and sets off non-stop destruction.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
-
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
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
-
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in separate incidents, according to their military.—
Dalia Abdelwahab,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
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Strikers viewed militiamen and soldiers as strikebreakers, and with the arrival of troops in Chicago, the violence escalated dramatically, as did civilian deaths.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Henchmen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/henchmen. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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