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

Nyala is a prominent hub for Colombian mercenaries and RSF drone operations, the report says.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

The report "shows mercenaries involved with drones travelling from a UAE base to Sudan before the RSF takeover of el-Fasher", he says.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Haftar feared Moscow’s mercenaries could attempt a coup against his rebel faction, as they had tried in Russia itself, Libyan and European officials have previously said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

We see from experience that only princes and republics armed with their own troops make very great progress, and that mercenaries cause nothing but damage.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli