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
Yet whenever Bunny turns away from Frank to take a call from one of his underlings about the day-to-day violence and ugliness of their industry, a somewhat disdainful look passes across Frank’s face.
—
Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025
Duncan, Kemp, and GOP Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger resisted efforts by the president, his underlings, and some GOP state legislators to reverse former President Joe Biden’s Georgia win by appointing an alternate slate of electors.
—Taylor Millard, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
When Sarah tries to point out that a work credited to a famous painter is actually that of his wife, her boss ignores his underling’s informed insight and dismisses her with a withering look.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2025
The film, which debuted at the Busan International Film Festival, centers on gang underlings who, oddly, compete to avoid becoming the boss while pursuing personal ambitions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underling
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Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025
Duncan, Kemp, and GOP Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger resisted efforts by the president, his underlings, and some GOP state legislators to reverse former President Joe Biden’s Georgia win by appointing an alternate slate of electors.
—Taylor Millard, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
When Sarah tries to point out that a work credited to a famous painter is actually that of his wife, her boss ignores his underling’s informed insight and dismisses her with a withering look.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2025
The film, which debuted at the Busan International Film Festival, centers on gang underlings who, oddly, compete to avoid becoming the boss while pursuing personal ambitions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Oct. 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 15 Nov. 2025.
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underling
noun
un·der·ling
ˈən-dər-liŋ
: one who is under the orders of another : subordinate
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