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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
The Metro Board in June 2024 agreed to establish an in-house public safety department and transition away from contracting with regional police agencies such as the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Long Beach Police Department.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
-
Participants who vacationed more frequently had a lower risk of contracting heart disease and diabetes.—
Frank Holmes,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
At current levels, investors are paying for durability and growth visibility.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
26 May 2026
-
If shooters continue to win the war against their goaltending brethren, then the fungibility of NHL goaltenders will continue to increase, and teams will be more incentivized to avoid paying premium prices for goaltenders, both in terms of their compensation and on the trade market.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
When Tracy was elevated from Triple-A to the big leagues Breslow didn’t rule out hiring a permanent manager midseason.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
The airline has been hiring crew members from the defunct Spirit Airlines and expanding its pilot base at FLL.—
Jeff Kleinman,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Fairley also admitted Thursday to placing wagers and recruiting and bribing college basketball players to underperform in games in a separate NCAA point-shaving case brought by federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania.—
Tom Winter,
NBC news,
28 May 2026
-
In my opinion, Carl can self-sabotage by amplifying the scale, scope and landscape of what had been negotiated, accordingly placing himself and his counterparties at odds.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
But for America’s 250th birthday, New York Harbor is also recruiting a proud armada of very tall sailing ships for the latest edition of OpSail.—
Paige Darrah,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 May 2026
-
The hire that defines 2026 is the human operator, and most founders are still recruiting for the wrong role.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subcontracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subcontracting. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
