Hired thugs are individuals who are employed to carry out illegal activities, often for criminal organizations. The term 'hired thugs' can be broken down into three distinct words: APES (4 letters), GOONS (5 letters), and GOONSQUAD (9 letters). APES refers to a group of people who are hired to commit violent acts, GOONS are hired to intimidate or threaten people, and GOONSQUAD is a slang term for a group of hired thugs.