as in lesser
having not so great importance or rank as another
his contention is that environment plays a subordinate role to heredity in determining what we become
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in underling
one who is of lower rank and typically under the authority of another
subordinates do most of the actual creation of the famous designer's clothing designs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to subject
to bring under one's control by force of arms
it is one of the lessons of history that more powerful civilizations often subordinate weaker ones
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subordinate
Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Whatever else is printed—articles about religion, Israel, humor pieces—is subordinate to the obituaries.
—David Bezmozgis, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
After clashing with his first commissioner, Mark G. Peters, Mr. de Blasio fired him, citing a report by an independent investigator that said Mr. Peters had abused his power and mistreated subordinates.
—Jan Ransom, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Anna Mae Duane, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2025
In these conditions, there is a significant chance that Trump’s efforts to subordinate America’s partners will backfire by hastening the dissolution of U.S. hegemony.
—Nicholas Mulder, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subordinate
Adjective
Therefore, all the other religions found in India thrive because of Hinduism, and are subordinate to it.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Whatever else is printed—articles about religion, Israel, humor pieces—is subordinate to the obituaries.
—David Bezmozgis, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025
Noun
By using stories to share ideas and offer suggestions, introverted leaders can seem more relatable and approachable to their subordinates.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
After clashing with his first commissioner, Mark G. Peters, Mr. de Blasio fired him, citing a report by an independent investigator that said Mr. Peters had abused his power and mistreated subordinates.
—Jan Ransom, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
In a world where every moment must be productive, where caregiving is systematically devalued and where human relationships are subordinated to market logic, Miss Huang represents a future where childhood survives only as a date on a birth certificate.
—Anna Mae Duane, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2025
In these conditions, there is a significant chance that Trump’s efforts to subordinate America’s partners will backfire by hastening the dissolution of U.S. hegemony.
—Nicholas Mulder, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subordinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subordinate
Adjective
-
Toronto’s Fred VanVleet appears to be the top target, but Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have been linked to the team at various points.—
Staff Writer
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2023
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The story of 2022 (and 2021 to a lesser extent) was energy.—
Nicole Goodkind,
CNN,
31 Jan. 2023
Noun
-
In the mornings, some managers might even dispatch an underling to scout a location for picnicking later on and proceed to give that person part of the day off.—
Kholood Eid,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
-
The 18-month program was like a scene out of The Bear, with abusive head chefs berating their underlings.—
John Hyatt,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Singer, in particular, subjected new cast member Eboni K. Williams — the show’s first Black full-time cast member — to a hailstorm of microaggressions and was the subject of several official complaints.—
Louis Staples,
Rolling Stone,
13 May 2025
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Just one week after subjecting us to Bobby’s funeral, Thursday’s episode of 9-1-1 wastes no time punching us in the gut once more, this time with a look back at the 118 in happier times.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
Women historically earn less than men and tend to take more time away from work for caregiving duties.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
-
The goal for the team is to build robotic systems that adjust to the environment using just physics, which would require less computing power (or no computing power at all) to work.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
The cannabis industry, traditionally dominated by white and male entrepreneurs, has seen a surge of diverse voices in recent years.—
Matt Rozo,
Mercury News,
13 May 2025
-
This was the start of a 21-game stretch the Cubs should dominate, even with Justin Steele out for the season and Shota Imanaga’s return from a hamstring strain unknown.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2025
Noun
-
But later, in 1997, Allen married Soon-Yi Previn, who is 35 years his junior.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
-
Kaden Choi, Head-Royce baseball: The junior went 4 for 5 and drove in 10 runs in Head-Royce’s 20-1 win over Redwood Christian.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
Officers used a taser on the man to try to subdue him, according to Cleverdon.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
19 May 2025
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One of the investigators fired non-lethal beanbag rounds at the man to try to subdue him, but Hampson fled.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2024
-
Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices.—
Frank Witsil,
Detroit Free Press,
19 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Subordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subordinate. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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