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
An amoral existentialist whose backstory becomes clear late in the going, Danny is a former mercenary soldier.
—
Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 8 Dec. 2025
South Africa’s government said this month that 17 of its citizens were stuck in Ukraine’s Donbas region after being tricked into fighting for mercenary forces under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
Reuters reported in April 2019 that Prince had been shopping a plan to topple the Maduro regime using mercenary soldiers.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Governments have turned to the Kremlin’s private mercenary army, the Africa Corps — formerly known as the Wagner Group — for protection.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 8 Dec. 2025
South Africa’s government said this month that 17 of its citizens were stuck in Ukraine’s Donbas region after being tricked into fighting for mercenary forces under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
Reuters reported in April 2019 that Prince had been shopping a plan to topple the Maduro regime using mercenary soldiers.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Governments have turned to the Kremlin’s private mercenary army, the Africa Corps — formerly known as the Wagner Group — for protection.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercenary
Adjective
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The song is a painfully cynical look at music fandom, the record industry, and how tragic deaths are exploited for cash by greedy executives.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
12 Jan. 2026
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Carrey portrays Ebenezer Scrooge, a cantankerous, greedy old man visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him the error of his ways.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Idealistic bunny police officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) is eager to prove herself in the big city, teaming up with slick fox named Nick (Jason Bateman) to uncover the conspiracy behind a string of animals gone missing.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Jan. 2026
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The more toxic the Powell investigation becomes, the stronger Warsh’s appeal grows among senators eager to reassert the Fed’s credibility.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Harlan has an avaricious family, each member of which has something to gain from his death.—
Anna Russell,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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What Netanyahu wants is not this peace deal or avaricious annexations, but to stay in power.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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L’Oréal, which was highly acquisitive in 2025, with deals to purchase Kering Beauty, Medik8 and ColorWow, as well as an additional 10 percent stake in Galderma, among other transactions, no doubt will continue enriching its portfolio in the new year.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
6 Jan. 2026
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Paramount Skydance completed its merger last year, and since then CEO David Ellison has been acquisitive.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercenary. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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