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

UN peacekeepers and French forces deployed to deal with the escalating insurgency left after the junta took over, and the military government hired Russian mercenaries to help tackle the insecurity.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

The report says its data details a pipeline that showed the mercenaries present at various regional staging grounds, most significantly a UAE military training facility in Ghayathi in Abu Dhabi.

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

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