mercenary

Ramírez’s personal politics would be supplanted by crude criminality; beginning as a revolutionary, he ended up as a money-grubbing freelance mercenary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Characterizing the outrage that followed as a strategic error feels a little mercenary.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

It’s just we need wiser, smarter, better leaders, who are, frankly, less mercenary.

From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026

Most fighters in the Africa Corps formerly belonged to the Russian mercenary Wagner group, which was active in the continent, hired by local governments to help curb insurgencies.

From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026

So instead of risking her life and making major money as a mercenary, she slowed heartbeats, eased breathing, relaxed muscles.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

The Saudis countered with an air campaign and ground force composed of Yemeni pro-government paramilitary factions, Saudi and Emirati troops and mercenaries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

Despite trumpeting pan-African and pro-independence messages, all three have welcomed Russian mercenaries to help fight jihadists loyal to either Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group, who have run rampant across the three countries.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

The corsairs, sometimes defining themselves as a naval mujahideen, also acted as mercenaries or proxies.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

Their seasoned troops, reinforced by Hessian mercenaries, faced an amateurish and poorly provisioned army of colonials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

Ptolemy IV Philopater hazarded the use of native Egyptian troops at Raphia, and won the battle with their help; just a few years later, native mercenaries in Thebes used their hard-won martial skills to revolt.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro