as in contracting
to come to an agreement with another person or company to do part of a job that you have been hired to do
Parts of the project were subcontracted (out) to specialists.
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Recent Examples of subcontracting
Content industries in the country are plagued by low wages, punishing hours, and subcontracting arrangements that push risk onto the most vulnerable workers.
—
Bobby Ghosh, Time, 7 May 2026
Echo was subcontracting, which meant long hours for thin margins.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
But anyone subcontracting tasks to AI is clever enough to imagine what might come next—a day when augmentation crosses into automation, and cognitive obsolescence compels them to seek work at a food truck, pet spa, or massage table.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Bobby Ghosh, Time, 7 May 2026
Echo was subcontracting, which meant long hours for thin margins.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
But anyone subcontracting tasks to AI is clever enough to imagine what might come next—a day when augmentation crosses into automation, and cognitive obsolescence compels them to seek work at a food truck, pet spa, or massage table.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subcontracting
Verb
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Public health staff said anyone who does not develop symptoms after 21 days is no longer considered at risk of contracting measles.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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The estate has a long, storied history under many family names, but in 1575, the Essenault family rechristened it by contracting their family name to Issan.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The nonprofit didn’t report paying any compensation to a staff or board, which includes two former Newsom aides, Steve Kawa and Jim DeBoo, as well as Sacramento Kings COO Matina Kolokotronis.—
Haley Parsley,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
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Siobhan and Rekha collaborate to sort Oreos, but Grant spends this entire episode unwisely rushing into things and paying for it, mostly in humiliation.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Employers are hiring fewer young people, citing an experience gap and rising minimum wages that make inexperienced youth less attractive.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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The firm says inflation, oil prices and cautious hiring are likely to lead to even fewer jobs this year, resulting in the lowest summer hiring total for teens since the federal government began tracking it in 1948.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Koné was in straight shock when the injury occurred, holding his leg at first and then placing his hands on his head.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
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Vaden removed a photograph of the two of them from his office, placing it on the desk of the subordinate with whom the lawsuit alleges Davis was involved.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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These punitive rules have since eased but the GFA is often accused of not recruiting well enough from the Ghanaian diaspora.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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Jackson also filed a defamation lawsuit against Jones in Fulton County Superior Court after Jones' campaign alleged on social media that Jackson had made his fortune recruiting for Planned Parenthood and helping doctors perform transgender procedures on minors.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subcontracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subcontracting. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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