UNDERLINGS Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

underlings

noun

plural of underling

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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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 underlings With her severe bob and icy demeanor, Miranda chills her underlings to the bone. — Jami Ganz, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2026 Giamatti makes Jerry ferocious but not monstruous, a man who certainly likes barking orders at various underlings but loves making good theater even more. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026 One of Driscoll’s underlings, Deputy Undersecretary Dave Fitzgerald, is also leaving, The Wall Street Journal reported. — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Scarface doesn’t just bark orders at his underlings but browbeats the whimpering Ventriloquist, giving him that warped double personality that made older characters like Two-Face so alluring. — Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026 Rumors of relationships between executives and underlings went around on campus. — Claire Stapleton, New Yorker, 18 July 2026 France’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival gets underway this weekend with Illumination’s Minions & Monsters, the latest movie devoted to the mischievous army of yellow underlings first introduced in 2010 breakout Despicable Me. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 June 2026 But the occupant of the Oval Office doesn’t want his underlings engaging in self-promotion and vindictive lawsuits. — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026 And all the while underlings scrambled madly for a correct number. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlings

Noun

Investigators have accused one of his subordinates of running a fraud scheme, though Kravchenko himself has not been charged or named a suspect.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Additionally, while there are government rules against federal employees accepting gifts from subordinates or officials who make less than themselves, subordinates are not barred from receiving gifts from superiors.

— Kristin Brown, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of subordinates

Noun

One of the senior henchmen of right-wing Christian politics saw this dangerous transformation unfolding from the inside.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
While Sanji and Chopper fight off various henchmen, Luffy battles Wapol and eventually beats him with Sanj’s help.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of henchmen

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underling

underlings

underlining

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“Underlings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlings. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of underlings

noun

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