as in minions
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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Recent Examples of henchmen
Also newly attached to Write to Kill are Simon Newton and Mike Wood, who will play henchmen.
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Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2025
Kyle’s wife, Tracy, suddenly leaves Kingstown for her sister’s home in Ohio this week, urged by Kyle and Mike to get herself and her baby as far away from Merle’s henchmen as possible.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2025
At a pivotal moment in the film, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) casts a spell on Fiyero in a desperate attempt to protect him from the pain and injury inflicted by the Wizard's henchmen.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Nov. 2025
Besides being mugged by one of Iza’s henchmen, a brick was thrown through his window and his car was vandalized.
—Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
His henchmen quickly followed suit.
—Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Over eight episodes, the brothers find themselves at the mercy of Mancuso — a former family friend — and his vicious henchmen, and they are forced to confront the emotional scars of growing up with an alcoholic father, who had gambled away his own restaurant.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2025
The citizens of Venezuela don't deserve to live under the tyrannical rule of Maduro or any of his henchmen!
—Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for henchmen
Noun
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And dark matter is the invisible minions.—
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And this is precisely the danger Kingstown is facing with Merle on the loose and his minions ready to mobilize.—
Noun
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Among his fellow disciples of Sigmund Freud, Alexander was a bit of an outlier.—
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Several teams throughout the league have searched for disciples of the Shanahan scheme to run their offenses, while several are running versions of a defense that Fangio has perfected.—
Noun
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Among the deceased were colonels, lieutenants, majors and captains and some reserve soldiers, ranging in age from 26 to 60, The Associated Press reported.—
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And those soldiers will come from Connecticut and the other 49 states and the territories and the district.—
Cite this Entry
“Henchmen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/henchmen. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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