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
All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who was traded to Pittsburgh, was voted off the island this offseason because his mercenary ways didn’t foster a healthy culture for a coach and general manager on the hot seat.
—
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 30 July 2025
At the time, Walsh was training the film’s star Matt Damon, who played a mercenary warrior alongside Pascal.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 23 July 2025
In the summer of 2023, the mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin mounted a small mutiny, dispatching a convoy of tanks toward Moscow before striking a deal with Putin and, two months later, dying in a plane crash that was almost certainly orchestrated by the Kremlin.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 16 July 2025
Diego Luna filled in the narrative of one of the richest, most complex characters in the galaxy, completing Cassian Andor’s journey from mercenary to devoted rebel with a cause.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 30 July 2025
At the time, Walsh was training the film’s star Matt Damon, who played a mercenary warrior alongside Pascal.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 23 July 2025
In the summer of 2023, the mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin mounted a small mutiny, dispatching a convoy of tanks toward Moscow before striking a deal with Putin and, two months later, dying in a plane crash that was almost certainly orchestrated by the Kremlin.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 16 July 2025
Diego Luna filled in the narrative of one of the richest, most complex characters in the galaxy, completing Cassian Andor’s journey from mercenary to devoted rebel with a cause.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercenary
Adjective
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Though one is a human innovation and the other hails from a distant world, neither would’ve posed a danger had greedy tech barons not released them from the Pandora’s box of scientific progress.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Aug. 2025
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O’ahu, Maui, Kaua’i and the big island of Hawai’i were all joined by water but divided by greedy men, cunning chiefs and a cycle of endless combat.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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It’s created a new market opportunity for brands eager to peddle protein-forward products to this growing demographic.—
Boutayna Chokrane,
Wired News,
6 Aug. 2025
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After the first four episodes of the show’s new installment were released on Wednesday, Aug. 6, fans were eager to see the singer, 39, in her guest starring role.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The comedy-drama follows a Gen Z content creator who returns to her ancestral home seeking viral material, only to encounter her deceased brother’s ghost while dealing with avaricious relatives.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2025
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This nation state, my home, is built on a quagmire of lies sold to the young as truths; sold to the insecure as truths; sold by the avaricious, the power-hungry, the conceited, the overwhelmingly white and male.—
Christine Winter,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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While Waze once again doesn’t charge anyone for usage and directions, how people use it along with when and where people go with it is surely valuable to businesses eager to meet and lead the needs of an acquisitive public.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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The competitive battle for smaller players continued into the early 1960s until antitrust laws curtailed the acquisitive sprees.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercenary. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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