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
The Central African Republic is one of the countries where Wagner, a Russian mercenary group, was first active in Africa.
—
ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
In many other places, the fighters have moved into other mercenary formations.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
At the height of its power, the Russian mercenary outfit known as the Wagner Group numbered tens of thousands of soldiers who were dispatched to Ukraine, Syria, and several African countries.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
The Bulls are not adopting the most mercenary mechanisms of tanking.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
In many other places, the fighters have moved into other mercenary formations.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
At the height of its power, the Russian mercenary outfit known as the Wagner Group numbered tens of thousands of soldiers who were dispatched to Ukraine, Syria, and several African countries.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
The Bulls are not adopting the most mercenary mechanisms of tanking.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercenary
Adjective
-
America does not belong to strongmen, greedy billionaires, or those who rule through fear.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
28 Mar. 2026
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People were making so much money, being greedy, but a squall was coming, one that could morph into a Cat 5 hurricane any minute.—
,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But Pineda brings the matter up many times, and is eager to defend himself.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
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With Archer’s amicable exit, the Princess of Wales is eager for the focus to be on her work rather than her outfits.—
Laura Scafati,
Vanity Fair,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Henwick’s Ruth, opposite Margaret Qualley’s avaricious Julia, represent a fork in the road for Becket.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Moreover, the streamers that have taken a more acquisitive approach to live sports content are highly selective.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
18 Mar. 2026
-
As Canva reckons with dramatic changes in the market, the design software vendor is getting acquisitive.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercenary. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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