Thesaurus results for UNDERWORLD

underworld

noun

ˈən-dər-ˌwərld

Definition of underworld

as in abyss

a social sphere that exists outside of the mainstream a magazine article taking an insightful look at the underworld inhabited by street people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 underworld After slowly changing the theatrical underworld as the king of midnight movies, Curry spent the rest of his acting career gleefully refusing to be pinned down. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile Eddie’s rise through the criminal underworld is mirrored by his rise through the British establishment, bringing him into the circle of a new oleaginous aristo played by Hugh Bonneville, who is joining the cast. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026 Because these operations draw from the criminal underworld, the Iranian regime can deny any involvement. — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 And yet, few authors, if any, have captured the spirit of the culinary underworld with such raw honesty and authenticity. — Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for underworld

Recent Examples of Synonyms for underworld

Noun

Anything less and the balance of the Heat’s offseason — and future — tilts toward an abyss.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
Some misjudge its power and are swept away, their final moments lost in the churning abyss.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of abyss

Noun

The brain’s surface has ridges and valleys, and CTE tangles are found in the depths of those valleys, called the cortical sulci, and surround blood vessels.

— Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
Youngquist has drilled large-diameter boreholes to depths exceeding 8,000 feet.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of depths

Noun

This debacle plunges the Marvins into Sydney’s criminal demimonde, where Susi is part of an organization headquartered in an amusement park and led by another brother-sister duo, this one terrifyingly unhinged.

— Judy Berman, Time, 11 Mar. 2026
The gumshoe’s exploits, punctuated with suspense, dark comedy and a motley cast unique to the demimonde of the Mexican capital, have been made into films and a Netflix series and translated into English and other languages.

— Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2025

Definition of demimonde

Browse Nearby Words

underwhelms

underworld

underworlds

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Underworld.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underworld. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of underworld

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compendious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes