headhunter

noun

head·hunt·er ˈhed-ˌhən-tər

variants or less commonly head hunter or head-hunter

plural headhunters also head hunters or head-hunters

: a recruiter of personnel especially at the executive or elite level

Don't automatically assume that all personnel agencies, job recruiters and executive headhunters are working for your best interest.—

Essence

When a corporation enlists the aid of a headhunter to fill a top position, it usually means it has already looked at its internal talent pool …—

Mary Miles

sports : an athlete who intentionally seeks to physically intimidate or harm an opponent

[Hockey player Marty] McSorley has had only two other stick suspensions, eight and 12 years ago. … To paint McSorley as a ruthless headhunter is wrong.—

Barry Melrose

especially : a pitcher who deliberately throws balls at or near a batter's head

[Jaret] Wright, a Cleveland righthander who had hit five batters this season and triggered two bench-clearing brawls, was officially condemned as a beanball-throwing bully—a headhunter, as they're known in the hallways of baseball. —

Tom Verducci et al.

: one that engages in the act or custom of seeking out and decapitating enemies and preserving their heads as trophies

Until recently they were feared as war-like headhunters and maintained few relations with neighbouring tribes.—

World Religions

Examples of headhunter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The ultimate in household head-hunting is to hire the headhunters themselves. —

Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2024 The fashion brand is now reportedly working with headhunters to replace its chairman, Gerry Murphy, according to Sky News. —

Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2024 Small businesses don't typically have budgets for recruiters, and so a headhunter would not likely be contacting you on their behalf. —

Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 26 June 2024 Kristy Hurt headhunter, career coach Make three connections. —

George Gurley, New York Times, 21 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for headhunter

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'headhunter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.