as in subordinates
one who is of lower rank and typically under the authority of another
the real estate tycoon has a whole army of underlings to attend to the details
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of underlings
Yet whenever Bunny turns away from Frank to take a call from one of his underlings about the day-to-day violence and ugliness of their industry, a somewhat disdainful look passes across Frank’s face.
—
Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025
Duncan, Kemp, and GOP Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger resisted efforts by the president, his underlings, and some GOP state legislators to reverse former President Joe Biden’s Georgia win by appointing an alternate slate of electors.
—Taylor Millard, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
The film, which debuted at the Busan International Film Festival, centers on gang underlings who, oddly, compete to avoid becoming the boss while pursuing personal ambitions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
Like his Washington, Bargatze’s Farnsworth regaled a trio of underlings (SNL cast members Bowen Yang, Mikey Day, and James Austin Johnson) with ridiculous yet accurate predictions for the future, in this case of TV.
—Judy Berman, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
Although the underlings complained about my methods, the cartel leaders, like Pedro and his boss, El Viejo, a key deputy of Pablo Escobar, were on my side.
—Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
When his underlings spew hate about the Golden State on Fox News and social media?
—Gustavo Arellano, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025
Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025
Duncan, Kemp, and GOP Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger resisted efforts by the president, his underlings, and some GOP state legislators to reverse former President Joe Biden’s Georgia win by appointing an alternate slate of electors.
—Taylor Millard, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
The film, which debuted at the Busan International Film Festival, centers on gang underlings who, oddly, compete to avoid becoming the boss while pursuing personal ambitions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
Like his Washington, Bargatze’s Farnsworth regaled a trio of underlings (SNL cast members Bowen Yang, Mikey Day, and James Austin Johnson) with ridiculous yet accurate predictions for the future, in this case of TV.
—Judy Berman, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
Although the underlings complained about my methods, the cartel leaders, like Pedro and his boss, El Viejo, a key deputy of Pablo Escobar, were on my side.
—Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
When his underlings spew hate about the Golden State on Fox News and social media?
—Gustavo Arellano, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlings
Noun
-
For food service establishments like KFC, this means people who devote more than 40% of their time during the work week performing the same work as their subordinates.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The Charges The obstruction charge centers on allegations that Comey directed subordinates to remove or conceal those memos from FBI systems after his dismissal in May 2017, actions prosecutors claim impeded a lawful investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of classified material.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But his preposterously wide net, his endless minions, and his vicious style left us no choice but to scale back on the data center theme.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
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Miami should have purged the roster even more, shipping off starters for draft picks, but apparently none of the bids enticed Ross and his minions, who are the individuals really calling the shots now.—
Omar Kelly
November 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Besides being mugged by one of Iza’s henchmen, a brick was thrown through his window and his car was vandalized.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
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Clarke played villain henchmen Mac in the film partly set and filmed in Sydney, Australia.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underlings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlings. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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