subcontracting

verb

present participle of subcontract
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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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 Unite Here Local 17, the union that represents the 500 Target Field concessions workers, says Delaware North failed to bargain in good faith by subcontracting Minnesota Funding Initiative volunteers. — Aki Nace, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subcontracting
  1. contracting
  2. paying
  3. hiring
  4. placing
  5. recruiting
Verb
  • But the legacy sequel as near-inevitability didn’t really take off in earnest until the 2000s, when millennial nostalgia started contracting in quicker cycles.
    — Vadim Rizov, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The proposal also would restrict California agencies from contracting with companies that allow federal and out-of-state law enforcement agencies to search California license plate databases, according to CalMatters.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of contracting
Verb
  • Marks said the poor, women and people of color are paying the cost of cash bail with more than money.
    — Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • While the good-paying white-collar jobs in the ‘burbs are getting slashed, the substantial workforce Capital One inherited from Discover in the city of Chicago largely has been spared.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of paying
Verb
  • The Bruins announced the hiring Monday of the 35-year-old Carr, who is volunteering in his first major coaching role.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • McDonnell seemed to prize family connections over real-world experience, hiring her nephews to serve as directors and executive producers on various series.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of hiring
Verb
  • Burry is putting his money where his mouth is, placing bearish bets against some of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom, including Nvidia, and others that are positioned against the broader semiconductor sector.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
  • If the proposal moves forward, county commissioners would first need to approve placing the measure on the ballot.
    — Noah Daly August 13, Idaho Statesman, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of placing
Verb
  • The Pentagon has also pulled recruiting resources from events aimed at specific demographics.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The skills matched the other traits college coaches emphasized while recruiting Oduwa.
    — Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of recruiting

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subcontracted
subcontracting
subcontracts
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Cite this Entry

“Subcontracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subcontracting. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on subcontracting

Nglish: Translation of subcontracting for Spanish Speakers

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