henchman

noun

Definition of henchmannext
as in minion
disapproving a trusted follower or supporter who performs unpleasant, wrong, or illegal tasks for a powerful person (such as a politician or criminal) a gangster surrounded by his henchmen

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of henchman The last of Lila and Amisha’s henchmen has fled with the remaining supply of poison aerosol, intending to detonate it, on Amisha’s orders, at a nightclub. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026 After crash landing on the dark world directly onto the homing beacon, EO and his crazy crew are apprehended by a gang of warrior henchmen and hauled into the throne room to face the wicked alien ruler who is imprisoned in anger and hate. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026 The henchmen are tying up loose ends after eliminating Kerry’s father, who informed on the Gotham crew to avoid serving his prison sentence. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Sep. 2026 One of the senior henchmen of right-wing Christian politics saw this dangerous transformation unfolding from the inside. — Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for henchman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for henchman
  1. minion
  2. disciple
  3. soldier
Noun
  • Gavin Newsom’s legislative minions just got a lesson in constitutional supremacy.
    — , FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • There are references to demons, being burned alive, and the duende king explicitly commands his minions to kill Jo and Raissa.
    — Parents, Parents, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of minion
Noun
  • Obeying Christ, the soon-to-be disciples got a hands-on lesson in the power of deeper, more humble prayers rather than surface-level efforts.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In particular, Greek mathematician-philosopher Pythagoras and his disciples may have associated beans with reincarnation, so some thought eating them was technically an act of cannibalism.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of disciple
Noun
  • The murder of two Israeli soldiers in the West Bank is the jumping-off point for a large-scale invasion of the Palestinian territory, a move that would further test the nation’s fraying relationship with the United States.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In April, a US Army soldier was arrested and charged with using confidential information to make $410,000 in Polymarket bets on the timing of the military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of soldier

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Cite this Entry

“Henchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/henchman. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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