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 conference — which draws child-abuse pediatricians, social workers, police officers and prosecutors — featured multiple presentations that cast doctors who testify for the defense as both ill informed and mercenary.
—
Kirsten Potter Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
Statues honoring the late Wagner leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and top commander, Dmitry Utkin, were unveiled in CAR’s capital, Bangui, in December, a Telegram channel linked to the mercenary group reported.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025
This includes the aimless storyline of Jun-ho and the mercenary team sailing around trying to find the game island now that Gi-hun’s tracker died.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Some carried the black flag of the mercenary Wagner Group, notorious for its brutality in Ukraine and Africa.
—Anna Nemtsova, The Atlantic, 27 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Kirsten Potter Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
Statues honoring the late Wagner leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and top commander, Dmitry Utkin, were unveiled in CAR’s capital, Bangui, in December, a Telegram channel linked to the mercenary group reported.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025
This includes the aimless storyline of Jun-ho and the mercenary team sailing around trying to find the game island now that Gi-hun’s tracker died.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Some carried the black flag of the mercenary Wagner Group, notorious for its brutality in Ukraine and Africa.
—Anna Nemtsova, The Atlantic, 27 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercenary
Adjective
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Consciously or not, Orsolya has played an active role in such urban growth; her job is to evict people from the lots that have been gobbled up by the government and/or greedy real estate developers who want to turn them into condos, chain stores, and luxury hotels.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
19 Feb. 2025
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Many of the Bronx’s Jews were not just liberals but leftists, leading rent strikes against greedy landlords.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Despite the grim proceedings and grubby environment, the spatial arrangement of the image brings to mind a theatre balcony packed with eager punters ready to consume their money’s worth of entertainment.—
Naomi Fry,
The New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2025
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The 2006 film — based on the book of the same name by Lauren Weisberger — follows Andy Sachs, a recent college graduate, eager to pursue a career in journalism.—
Virginia Chamlee,
People.com,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Pearce plays Van Buren as hungry and avaricious even in his kinder moments, a man of immense wealth whose primary desire is to own more and more.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2025
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Ever since the United States liberated Kuwait from the avaricious clutches of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War of 1990-91, the Kuwaitis have supported U.S. priorities in the Middle East and elsewhere.—
Martin Indyk,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Feb. 2022
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Federation rivals ITV Studios and Fremantle are both rumored to be on the block, while Banijay remains acquisitive and newer players like North Road are part of this evolving conversation.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2025
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Societies around the world have embraced the competitive and acquisitive spirit hardwired into capitalism, without which incomes decline, poverty increases, and technological progress slows.—
Branko Milanovic,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Dec. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercenary. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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