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
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Recent Examples of underworld
The groundbreaking series followed Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Rico Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas), two undercover cops navigating Miami’s drug- and violence-fueled underworld.
—
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Based on the William Lashner novel, Kockroach is the story of a mysterious stranger who takes on New York’s criminal underworld, transforming himself into a larger-than-life crime boss in a city where power is everything.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
An intrepid British explorer, Peter MacNab, led the first team through this epic underworld of caverns the height of skyscrapers.
—Nicole Young, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Soon after, the weapon used is traced back to Sverre Olsen (Arthur Hakalahti), a young arms dealer operating in a downtown warehouse populated by the city’s underworld and, according to the 70 percent assurance of face recognition expert Beate (Ellen Helinder), a familiar presence within the force.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underworld
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Based on the William Lashner novel, Kockroach is the story of a mysterious stranger who takes on New York’s criminal underworld, transforming himself into a larger-than-life crime boss in a city where power is everything.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
An intrepid British explorer, Peter MacNab, led the first team through this epic underworld of caverns the height of skyscrapers.
—Nicole Young, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Soon after, the weapon used is traced back to Sverre Olsen (Arthur Hakalahti), a young arms dealer operating in a downtown warehouse populated by the city’s underworld and, according to the 70 percent assurance of face recognition expert Beate (Ellen Helinder), a familiar presence within the force.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underworld
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underworld
Noun
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Adobe could be crawling its way out of the software stock abyss, after a buyback and an endorsement from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revived confidence in the digital media provider.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
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The horrid image in the news of a column of smoke rising above the city of Tehran — an abyss of darkness against the gray sky — arrests my attention.—
Babak Rahimi,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The rules of this netherworld announce themselves, early on, via a nondescript wall sign.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
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Now, in an age of instant communications, their Cold War counterparts could nonetheless disappear into a covert netherworld, loosening Washington’s controls and freeing them to plot coups, mobilize armies, and install governments.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Fan-favorite players find ways to shine from the depths of the later rounds.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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But even in its most opposing moments, from its depths of disintegration to its peaks of pattern-building, Spirals/Viral has a cryptic unity.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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Often considered the most scathing film ever made about the movie industry, The Day of the Locust is an adaptation of Nathanael West’s celebrated novel about a down-and-out artist turned set painter and the Los Angeles demimonde during the Great Depression.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underworld.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underworld. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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