hired gun

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See synonyms for hired gun on Thesaurus.com

noun Informal.

a person hired to kill someone, as a gunfighter or professional killer.

a person hired to bear arms and fight for another, as a bodyguard or mercenary.

a person, as a politician or lobbyist, skilled at attaining power for others.

a person hired to resolve difficult problems or disputes or to handle complex legal or business problems.

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Origin of hired gun

First recorded in 1965–70

Words nearby hired gun

Hiram, Hiranuma, Hiratsuka, hircine, hire, hired gun, hired hand, hiree, hireling, hire out, hire-purchase

How to use hired gun in a sentence

The effort to sterilize his image first began when Epstein hired Los Angeles-based spin doctors Sitrick Co.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“You can imagine the sound of that gun on a Bronx street,” Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce says.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That act forever sealed his feeling for the Chief, bound it up with the war, with violence, with the gun.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I mean, the reality of it was, I had to go out and get on a horse, and ride in, shoot the gun — how hard was that, right?
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

They were the machine gun bullets coming from the ambush when my company got hit.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This was no strange sight to the boy by that time, but it was awkward in the circumstances, for he had neither gun nor spear.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
He turned at the sound of my voice with vastly more concern than he'd betrayed under the muzzle of Piegan's gun.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
He was a good judge of men, that eagle-faced major; he knew that the slightest move with hostile intent would mean a smoking gun.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Here Robinson suddenly turned pale, and, hastily reaching out for his gun, sprang to his feet.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
I begged him to come down here, but he wouldn't—says that his hand is no longer steady enough to hold a gun—it's awful!
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

Other Idioms and Phrases with hired gun

hired gun

A person, especially a professional killer, employed to kill someone, as in They thought the murder had been done by a hired gun. The noun gun has been slang for a professional criminal since the mid-1800s.

A person with special knowledge or expertise who is employed to resolve a complex problem. For example, The legal team was looking for a hired gun to handle the antitrust angle of the case. [Slang; 1960s]

hired gun

Origin of hired gun

Words nearby hired gun

Words related to hired gun

How to use hired gun in a sentence

Other Idioms and Phrases with hired gun