underling
noun
un·der·ling
ˈən-dər-liŋ 
: one who is under the orders of another : subordinate, inferior
Examples of underling in a Sentence
He takes all the credit, but most of the hard work is done by his underlings.
the real estate tycoon has a whole army of underlings to attend to the details
Recent Examples on the Web
And so the familiar, awkward family dynamics are established, right down to Rosamund and Posy's haughty demeanor towards their step-sister/underling.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Providing some respite from the violent mayhem are scenes in which Manafort stares intently at computer screens tracking what’s going on and the new MI6 chief (Ackie) barks orders at her underlings.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
One of her underlings, an eager-beaver new recruit (George MacKay) in the records department, is the case manager.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
That film spawned irrationally confident underlings.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underling
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Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Providing some respite from the violent mayhem are scenes in which Manafort stares intently at computer screens tracking what’s going on and the new MI6 chief (Ackie) barks orders at her underlings.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
One of her underlings, an eager-beaver new recruit (George MacKay) in the records department, is the case manager.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
That film spawned irrationally confident underlings.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underling
Cite this Entry
“Underling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underling. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underling
noun
un·der·ling
ˈən-dər-liŋ
: one who is under the orders of another : subordinate
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