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 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
  • Though the source of the infections has yet to be identified, experts recommend taking precautions with fresh produce and practicing good hygiene to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 9 July 2026
  • The market is contracting, yet opportunities exist for individual brands to innovate and grow amid persistent hardware cost pressures.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of contracting
Verb
  • Rather than paying the Cuban government agency that runs medical missions, Calabria signed individual contracts with the doctors and makes deposits in their Italian bank accounts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
  • The Justice Department unveiled this case against it, essentially arguing that SPLC had been defrauding its donors by paying informants within far-right groups who were infiltrating those groups.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026
Definition of paying
Verb
  • The invasion-of-privacy claim was also dismissed because state law doesn’t recognize claims based on the disclosure of private facts, and the employees had willingly provided their information to Bojangles as part of the hiring process.
    — Chase Jordan July 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026
  • Just like hiring a new employee, AI requires strict instructions and examples of good and bad work.
    — Tyler Dykstra, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of hiring
Verb
  • Tyler officially caught the singing bug after placing second at the talent show hosted by a local rugby club.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Two Miami-Dade church camp counselors were arrested Wednesday for allegedly abusing a 9-year-old boy by placing large orange cones over his head and repeatedly hitting him, according to the sheriff’s office.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026
Definition of placing
Verb
  • Now, the Twins run baseball operations and Masubuchi has retired from recruiting.
    — Anya Armentrout, Twin Cities, 4 July 2026
  • The group plans on recruiting 50,000 volunteers and is actively fundraising to pass the measure.
    — Ben Paviour July 2, Sacbee.com, 2 July 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 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on subcontracting

Nglish: Translation of subcontracting for Spanish Speakers

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