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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Recent Examples of underlings
The Canadian-Norwegian co-production for CBC and NRK follows a spoiled Norwegian factory heir from the 1800s, who forces a group of reluctant underlings to the American Wild West to gather material for his novel.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 May 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
Even Trump himself—with his garbled speech and incoherent ramblings—makes his underlings seem more credible by comparison.
—Sarah Longwell, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Historically, film studios have been run by one monolithic figure, calling shots and running expansive teams of middle managers and underlings.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
This one regrettable fight between husband and wife has far-reaching implications for the community surrounding a ritzy LA country club, where Josh is the general manager and Ashley and Austin are his underlings.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
That’s striking, considering that execs tend to be far more enthusiastic about the tech compared to their underlings.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Feb. 2026
Despite the scary Instagram post, gang leader Lamar Williams was still convicted this month of a 2013 murder in the Bronx, and the two underlings accused of trying to keep him out of prison could wind up joining him.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 May 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
Even Trump himself—with his garbled speech and incoherent ramblings—makes his underlings seem more credible by comparison.
—Sarah Longwell, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Historically, film studios have been run by one monolithic figure, calling shots and running expansive teams of middle managers and underlings.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
This one regrettable fight between husband and wife has far-reaching implications for the community surrounding a ritzy LA country club, where Josh is the general manager and Ashley and Austin are his underlings.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
That’s striking, considering that execs tend to be far more enthusiastic about the tech compared to their underlings.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Feb. 2026
Despite the scary Instagram post, gang leader Lamar Williams was still convicted this month of a 2013 murder in the Bronx, and the two underlings accused of trying to keep him out of prison could wind up joining him.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlings
Noun
-
Ordinary taxpayers don’t get to sue the IRS, settle with their own subordinates, and emerge with a bespoke release from audits and liabilities.—
Andrew Leahey,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
-
Landau quickly implemented a strict hierarchy at the agency, requiring subordinates to work up a chain of command before contacting her — an about-face from Frolich’s collaborative approach, attorneys said.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Aniello, who directed both bookend episodes, replicates her own long, dynamic shot from the series premiere, which tracks Deborah from the closing joke of her zillionth Vegas set, through a backstage warren of minions and admirers, to her dressing room.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 May 2026
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Your president and his minions spread war, chaos, lies and economic instability.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Launched in early 1982, the original MOTU line-up saw He-Man and Skeletor joined by heroes Teela (at this point, the only female character), Man-at-Arms and Stratos; the morally ambiguous Zodac; and a couple of Skeletor's henchmen, Beast Man and Mer-Man.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
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The remoteness of their surroundings is no accident; one of these characters is fleeing an inconvenient past, which returns with a vengeance in the form of a beefy sadist (Benoît Magimel) and his two hostage-taking henchmen.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underlings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlings. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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