hit man

noun

Definition of hit mannext
1
as in torpedo

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2
as in hired gun

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hit man The prosecutors described a pyramid of murder and impunity with Duterte at the apex, police and civilian officials in the middle, and low-level policemen, police assets, and hit men at the bottom. — Sheila Coronel, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026 Dust Bunny is the story of a young girl who asks Mikkelsen's character, a hit man, to take care of a monster under her bed. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026 In Ben Wheatley's brilliant and blistering work, a British soldier returns home and embarks on a career as a hit man, finding strange little details while on his various jobs. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025 In 2017, the Gardaí received a tip that the Kinahans had hired Imre Arakas, an Estonian hit man known as the Butcher, to murder James Gately, a member of the Hutch gang who lived in Belfast. — Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hit man
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit man
  1. torpedo
  2. hired gun
  3. murderer
  4. hatchet man
  5. assassin
Noun
  • Each vessel will be able to carry 12 Trident II D5 missiles for nuclear deterrence, alongside torpedoes for anti-ship missions.
    — Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
  • Their modular design allows rapid adaptation, deploying diverse payloads like torpedoes, air drones, and rockets.
    — Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of torpedo
Noun
  • That would be impressive enough, but don’t forget that year’s edition of the team also had UFA hired guns Luc Robitaille and Brett Hull.
    — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Every four years, ambitious consultants and hired guns sit down with aspiring presidents and sell them a lie.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 17 Aug. 2023
Definition of hired gun
Noun
  • Fleming remains in the fold at Universal after being tapped for a role alongside a murderer’s row of fellow comics in the Judd Apatow-Glen Powell comedy The Comeback King, out February 5.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 July 2026
  • In the somewhat convoluted progress of Mitchell’s script, their ego war is eventually eclipsed by fears there’s a genuine murderer on the loose — perhaps even an actual vampire.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 July 2026
Definition of murderer
Noun
  • While he was sent by the White House to be a hatchet man, Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, should use a scalpel with care, conducting a real, legitimate probe that seeks ways to save money for taxpayers and improve outcomes for patients.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 Mar. 2026
  • In 2010, the duo separated, going opposite directions; Malice sought repentance through the church while Pusha became a hatchet man for Kanye West.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Definition of hatchet man
Noun
  • By the time Cameron came up with the idea for The Terminator — about a robot assassin sent back in time to kill the mother of humanity’s unborn savior — Wisher was growing more interested in screenwriting.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2026
  • Their characters — a notorious assassin and a lawyer — race across Europe, balancing brutal fights and a messy, decades-long friendship.
    — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of assassin

Browse Nearby Words

hit it off
hit man
hit men
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Cite this Entry

“Hit man.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit%20man. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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