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
Back then, Srinivas noted, a computer was the name for an astronomer’s apprentice; the underling tasked with doing the calculations to support the boss’ celestial theories.
—
Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
Shell looked to be on his way to a high-profile comeback after losing his job as NBCUniversal chief executive three years ago over an inappropriate relationship with an underling.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
That’s striking, considering that execs tend to be far more enthusiastic about the tech compared to their underlings.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Feb. 2026
Despite the scary Instagram post, gang leader Lamar Williams was still convicted this month of a 2013 murder in the Bronx, and the two underlings accused of trying to keep him out of prison could wind up joining him.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underling
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Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
Shell looked to be on his way to a high-profile comeback after losing his job as NBCUniversal chief executive three years ago over an inappropriate relationship with an underling.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
That’s striking, considering that execs tend to be far more enthusiastic about the tech compared to their underlings.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Feb. 2026
Despite the scary Instagram post, gang leader Lamar Williams was still convicted this month of a 2013 murder in the Bronx, and the two underlings accused of trying to keep him out of prison could wind up joining him.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 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 14 Mar. 2026.
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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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