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Synonyms

hit man

American  
Or hitman

noun

Slang.
  1. a hired killer, especially a professional killer from the underworld.

  2. hatchet man.


hit man British  

noun

  1. slang a hired assassin, esp one employed by gangsters

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hit man

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70

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.

"There is no evidence he was a hit man full-time, part-time or any time", he added.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2025

The story: Glen Powell is a philosophy professor who moonlights for the police in New Orleans when he finds himself undercover posing as a hit man in this Richard Linklater movie.

From New York Times • May 24, 2024

But the one that has most resonated — killed, you might say — has been a gentler, funnier take on the genre that says right up front: The hired hit man is a Hollywood myth.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 13, 2023

HBO’s dark comedy “Barry” is ostensibly the saga of a hit man trying to find himself — and redemption — through a North Hollywood acting class.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2023

He squeezes the words out of the corner of his mouth like a hit man.

From "The Misfits" by James Howe

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