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
Moscow provided air, weapon and artillery support to the regime, as well as mercenary fighters.
Iran, long an ally and sponsor of Assad and Syria as a key node in its Axis of Resistance, stepped up its military presence to protect its client and secure weapons flows and influence.
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Ian Pannell, ABC News, 3 Dec. 2024
Her motive in accepting the offer is not solely mercenary.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Nov. 2024
Such a project could also include discrete channels aimed at different branches of the Russian system: the Federal Security Service and police, the army, and mercenary soldiers.
—Peter Pomerantsev, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2024
The fourth season of Apple TV+’s Slow Horses concludes with a big ol’ reveal: Frank Harkness, the rogue intelligence operative our titular bargain-bin agents have been chasing the whole time, isn’t just the head of a mercenary cabal staffed with men he’s brainwashed since childhood.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mercenary 
Ian Pannell, ABC News, 3 Dec. 2024
Her motive in accepting the offer is not solely mercenary.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Nov. 2024
Such a project could also include discrete channels aimed at different branches of the Russian system: the Federal Security Service and police, the army, and mercenary soldiers.
—Peter Pomerantsev, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2024
The fourth season of Apple TV+’s Slow Horses concludes with a big ol’ reveal: Frank Harkness, the rogue intelligence operative our titular bargain-bin agents have been chasing the whole time, isn’t just the head of a mercenary cabal staffed with men he’s brainwashed since childhood.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mercenary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercenary
Adjective
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Even as a single, childless woman, which society calls failure, my life always felt charmed, so charmed that asking God for more felt greedy.Essence, Essence, 17 Dec. 2024
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Some wonder what's wrong with American society; some see a wakeup call for greedy health insurers.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Self-esteem: Feedback from others can make all the difference in a journey of self-improvement, and your participation will be assessed by a diverse group of reviewers eager to offer their opinions not only on your appearance, but also on your overall demeanor and person.Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
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Airlines, especially, have been eager to point fingers at short staffing in control towers as a major cause of delays, especially during peak travel seasons.Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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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
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Stalin’s apprenticeship in high-stakes diplomacy had shown him to be cunning but also opportunistic, avaricious, obdurate.Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2017
Adjective
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But the dealer’s acquisitive focus often operated as a Midas touch, turning those around him into golden objects.Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
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The aggregator continues to be acquisitive of other Shopify brands in categories such as health, apparel and consumer electronics, Rabois says.Richard Collings, Axios, 18 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near mercenary
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercenary. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
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