as in greedy
having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions
they were a mercenary couple, who defined themselves not by what they were but by what they owned
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Recent Examples of mercenary
No investment, then mercenary mode kicks in for many pros.
—
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
The show saw the heroes combine their powers to fight off the mysterious mercenary cult known as The Hand.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 4 Apr. 2026
And mercenary pros could Benedict Arnold their former college teams by playing for a hated rival.
—Zach Przystup, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2026
Who once set us in the deep a password, lock and mercenary.
—Timmy Straw, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
The show saw the heroes combine their powers to fight off the mysterious mercenary cult known as The Hand.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 4 Apr. 2026
And mercenary pros could Benedict Arnold their former college teams by playing for a hated rival.
—Zach Przystup, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2026
Who once set us in the deep a password, lock and mercenary.
—Timmy Straw, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercenary
Adjective
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Summers in Florida would not be so hot if lawmakers were not so greedy; developers not so persistent; if land and wildlife weren’t paved for roads, parking lots and housing developments.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
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The bottom line is this World Cup’s bottom line comes with the tournament’s most expensive tickets ever the world’s most popular event collides with all-American capitalism at its greediest.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Trump had used the act to plaster taxes on imports with eager abandon.—
Paul Wiseman,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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Kay isn’t some kind of unhinged chaos agent or emotional thrill-seeker (well, maybe just a little), but rather an adventurous artist eager to dig deep beneath the surface.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Played by a Colman Domingo who is done up to look the most wax figurine of them all in a shellacking of makeup, prosthetics, and colored contacts, Joe is always either giving an avaricious open-mouthed leer or a cold-eyed glare.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
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There’s a quasi-heist theme to The Christophers, which revolves around an acclaimed artist (McKellen), who has long since stopped making new work, and his avaricious children (Gunning and Corden) who try to enlist Coel to complete some of their dad’s unfinished paintings.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Looking back on his 27 years with the bank, Gentry said the timing, loopholes, tax strategies and negotiations that gave the business its acquisitive edge were not because of dumb luck.—
Chase Jordan
April 9,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
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Moreover, the streamers that have taken a more acquisitive approach to live sports content are highly selective.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercenary. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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