as in subordinate
one who is of lower rank and typically under the authority of another
the real estate tycoon has a whole army of underlings to attend to the details
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of underling
Once a long-suffering underling to Streep’s Priestly, her fortunes have now dramatically reversed.
—
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Even Trump himself—with his garbled speech and incoherent ramblings—makes his underlings seem more credible by comparison.
—Sarah Longwell, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
This time playing an underling rather than a boss, Hoskins gave one of the best performances of his career in what remains a high point for Jordan as well, a lyrical and poignant yet savage film noir filled with regret, rage, and unrequited love.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2026
This one regrettable fight between husband and wife has far-reaching implications for the community surrounding a ritzy LA country club, where Josh is the general manager and Ashley and Austin are his underlings.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underling
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Even Trump himself—with his garbled speech and incoherent ramblings—makes his underlings seem more credible by comparison.
—Sarah Longwell, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
This time playing an underling rather than a boss, Hoskins gave one of the best performances of his career in what remains a high point for Jordan as well, a lyrical and poignant yet savage film noir filled with regret, rage, and unrequited love.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2026
This one regrettable fight between husband and wife has far-reaching implications for the community surrounding a ritzy LA country club, where Josh is the general manager and Ashley and Austin are his underlings.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underling
Noun
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Another maintenance officer months later reported Brady to the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission for having subordinates perform work at his private residence.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
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Landau quickly implemented a strict hierarchy at the agency, requiring subordinates to work up a chain of command before contacting her — an about-face from Frolich’s collaborative approach, attorneys said.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Launched in early 1982, the original MOTU line-up saw He-Man and Skeletor joined by heroes Teela (at this point, the only female character), Man-at-Arms and Stratos; the morally ambiguous Zodac; and a couple of Skeletor's henchmen, Beast Man and Mer-Man.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
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Trump and his underlings make Nixon and his henchmen seem like amateurs.—
Arthur Krystal,
New Yorker,
25 May 2026
Noun
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This is simply an excuse used my Steven Miller and his minions at USCIS to not do the job they have been paid to do.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Dec. 2025
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The big baddies, their minions, and one evil dude.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
24 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underling. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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