hire
verb (used with object)
to engage the services of (someone) for wages or other payment.
had hired
-
past perfectof hire.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Executive editor Albert Erskine had hired him as a proofreader and copyeditor, and put him under the supervision of Bertha Krantz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
In 2022, the commission concluded that Zuma had hired and fired ministers central to the running of the country's economy at the behest of the Gupta family.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
In March 2023, a skeptical Chakrabarti was persuaded to meet Cipriano, who was working for Halmar, the U.S. subsidiary of an Italian infrastructure giant, and had hired engineers and architects to develop a plan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
The book’s author, Mia Ballard, denied that she had relied on AI to pen the book but said an acquaintance she had hired to edit the novel used AI.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
Burnham admitted later that he had hired Pretyman for the job “largely on account of his great friendship for John Root.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
