hired guns
Paid combat specialists
Hired guns are people paid to fight, kill, or provide armed protection—mercenaries, bodyguards, or assassins.
The term extends to any specialist brought in for aggressive or high-stakes work: The company brought in some hired guns to handle the lawsuit.
A hired gun implies competence but also detachment—they're loyal to the paycheck, not the cause.
- hitmanProfessional paid murderer
- mercenariesSoldiers paid to fight
- assassinPaid murderer of targets
- wet workEspionage term for assassination
- hit squadAssassination team
torpedo · hessian · enforcer · ronin · legionnaire · soldier of fortune · contractor · contract killer · shooter · foreign fighter · private military contractor · paramilitary force · private army · operatives · henchmen · bounty hunters · triggermen · bodyguards
- Westernscowboys, western, outlaws, sheriffs, western novels
- Mercenariesmercenaries, mercenary, soldiers of fortune, soldier of fortune, sellswords
- metonymsWall Street, Hollywood, the Kremlin, Capitol Hill, Downing Street
- enemiesenemy, foe, foes, adversary, nemesis
- substitutessubstitute, subs, replacement, substitutes, stand-in
- underlingsunderling, underlings, subordinate, minions, minion
hired gunspatriots
Devoted homeland supporters
true believers · volunteers · freedom fighters · ideologues · zealots
hired gunsenlisted soldiers
Military personnel below officers
regular army · standing army · military personnel · servicemembers · conscripts
hired gunscareer soldiers
Professional military personnel
company men · lifers · standing army · permanent staff · insiders
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