mercenaries

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mali imported Russia’s Wagner mercenaries in 2022, in a failed attempt to swiftly suffocate the local Islamist insurgency that has since emerged as al Qaeda’s most successful and resilient offshoot.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

He previously told the BBC the FLA had remained in the city because "elements of the Malian army and Russian mercenaries" were still present.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

Colombian President Gustavo Petro was quoted last year as calling the mercenaries "spectres of death" and describing their recruitment as a "form of human trafficking".

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

It flew in its Wagner mercenaries to support his forces and used his territory as its logistical access point to half-a-dozen sub-Saharan countries where it scooped up valuable reserves of gold, diamond and timber.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

At least five different organizations had sent soldiers-for-hire into the city, including Israeli mercenaries from a firm called Instinctive Shooting International.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers