1
as in attack dog
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2
as in wordmonger
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Recent Examples of hatchet man
Meanwhile, there have been mass firings at the FBI, reportedly instigated by Trump hatchet man Kash Patel, who awaits Senate confirmation to head the FBI.
—
Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2025
Back home, more pink slips for federal employees go out and the scrutiny of Elon Musk's role as the hatchet man for those agencies intensifies.
—CBS News, 16 Feb. 2025
Musician and producer Grimes made a rare comment involving her ex-partner and father to her three kids, Elon Musk, after their 4-year-old son appeared alongside the tech mogul turned government hatchet man at the White House on Wednesday.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Feb. 2025
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, another of President Vladimir Putin’s hatchet men, advised Americans to vote for Donald Trump or risk being dragged into a nuclear war.
—Mitchell A. Orenstein, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2016
In the twenty-tens, the brothers took up solo careers; Malice converted to Christianity (becoming No Malice), as Pusha T became a hatchet man for Kanye West.
—The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2023
The Mondale inner circle wanted Ferraro to play the traditional running-mate role of hatchet man.
—Maureen Dowd New York Times, Star Tribune, 10 Aug. 2020
In a role reversal from their eight years together in the White House, Barack Obama has become Joe Biden’s wingman and, in his understated way, his hatchet man.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2020
To secure the 1800 presidential election, Thomas Jefferson infamously hired a hatchet man named James Callender to spread false rumors about John Adams wanting a war with France.
—A. G. Hamilton, National Review, 25 Oct. 2019
Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2025
Back home, more pink slips for federal employees go out and the scrutiny of Elon Musk's role as the hatchet man for those agencies intensifies.
—CBS News, 16 Feb. 2025
Musician and producer Grimes made a rare comment involving her ex-partner and father to her three kids, Elon Musk, after their 4-year-old son appeared alongside the tech mogul turned government hatchet man at the White House on Wednesday.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Feb. 2025
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, another of President Vladimir Putin’s hatchet men, advised Americans to vote for Donald Trump or risk being dragged into a nuclear war.
—Mitchell A. Orenstein, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2016
In the twenty-tens, the brothers took up solo careers; Malice converted to Christianity (becoming No Malice), as Pusha T became a hatchet man for Kanye West.
—The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2023
The Mondale inner circle wanted Ferraro to play the traditional running-mate role of hatchet man.
—Maureen Dowd New York Times, Star Tribune, 10 Aug. 2020
In a role reversal from their eight years together in the White House, Barack Obama has become Joe Biden’s wingman and, in his understated way, his hatchet man.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2020
To secure the 1800 presidential election, Thomas Jefferson infamously hired a hatchet man named James Callender to spread false rumors about John Adams wanting a war with France.
—A. G. Hamilton, National Review, 25 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hatchet man
Noun
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Freedman has always seen himself as the attack dog for the underdogs.—
Gary Baum,
The Hollywood Reporter,
21 Feb. 2025
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Donnelly, meanwhile, relished his role as an attack dog.—
Meg Bernhard,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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On Tuesday, March 25, police found a male pit bull mix without a collar in a dumpster in Ann Arbor, Mich., according to the City of Ann Arbor Police Department.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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Milo, a 3-year-old terrier pit bull mix, didn’t have a good life up until someone finally started looking out for him, the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said in a March 21 Facebook post.—
TJ Macias,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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When examined under a microscope, the hair will show light and dark areas of banding, similar to a tiger's tail.10 Trichothiodystrophy can also cause developmental delay and frequent infections.10 13.—
Patty Weasler, RN,
Verywell Health,
28 Mar. 2025
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The tigers aren't a subspecies of tiger but instead are either a Bengal or Siberian tiger with a genetic mutation called leucism, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.—
Krystal Nurse,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Image Wojnarowski transcended the relative anonymity of most sports scribblers by virtue of his hustle and connections often landing him N.B.A. stories before anyone else.—
Victor Mather,
New York Times,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Try your hand at drawing a model, whether your a pro or a scribbler.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2024
Noun
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Another convenient hack for decreasing airport stress is to wear all of your must-have essentials on your person, rather than stashing them in your backpack or carry-on.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Mar. 2025
-
The hack sees users letting their skin completely air-dry before going in with skin care.—
Elle Turner,
Glamour,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In his newest book, The Maverick's Museum: Albert Barnes and his American Dream (Ecco), art critic and biographer Blake Gopnik—formerly a Newsweek reporter—brings Barnes and his collection to life.—
Blake Gopnik,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
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Franklin, an award-winning biographer, details how Frank’s legacy was formed, and sometimes deformed, by her father, Otto, who survived her.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This realization led Wright and his coauthors to connect the cosmic phenomenon with mass extinctions on Earth.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN,
20 Mar. 2025
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Giannoulias was a coauthor of the Illinois Food Safety Act, which passed the Illinois Senate and is currently before the House of Representatives. Tired of waiting for the FDA, other states have also acted.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But only hagiographers believe that one man created today’s France.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Apr. 2024
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William’s hagiographer, the monk Thomas of Monmouth, laid out this unsubstantiated account in excruciating detail, leading to the canonization of the dead boy; like mushrooms after rain, accounts of miracles arose around his tomb.—
Talia Lavin,
The New Republic,
29 Sep. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Hatchet man.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hatchet%20man. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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