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
The 18-month program was like a scene out of The Bear, with abusive head chefs berating their underlings.
—
John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Everyone, apart from underlings such as housekeeper Mary (Jackie Clune), are dressed immaculately enough to grace the cover of pre-war Vogue.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
Forces deployed on the night of martial law But the generals — and especially their underlings — were not as committed to Mr. Yoon’s takeover.
—Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2025
Surely that high-risk role would better be performed by an underling and not the leader of the rebels.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underling
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John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Everyone, apart from underlings such as housekeeper Mary (Jackie Clune), are dressed immaculately enough to grace the cover of pre-war Vogue.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
Forces deployed on the night of martial law But the generals — and especially their underlings — were not as committed to Mr. Yoon’s takeover.
—Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2025
Surely that high-risk role would better be performed by an underling and not the leader of the rebels.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underling
Cite this Entry
“Underling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underling. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underling
noun
un·der·ling
ˈən-dər-liŋ
: one who is under the orders of another : subordinate
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