underling

noun

ˈən-dər-liŋ How to pronounce underling (audio)
Definition of underlingnext
as in subordinate
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 underling 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 Once a long-suffering underling to Streep’s Priestly, her fortunes have now dramatically reversed. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 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 This time playing an underling rather than a boss, Hoskins gave one of the best performances of his career in what remains a high point for Jordan as well, a lyrical and poignant yet savage film noir filled with regret, rage, and unrequited love. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for underling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underling
  1. subordinate
  2. henchman
  3. minion
Noun
  • Putin has also protected his direct allies while not extending any such shield to younger subordinates.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Whether peer-to-peer, superior-to-subordinate, or subordinate-to-superior, there has to be trust.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of subordinate
Noun
  • The psychedelic sequence that follows, punctuated by three European henchmen tailing the girls in a black SUV, is funny enough.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Almost immediately upon showing up, Oliver’s character kills a henchman.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 July 2026
Definition of henchman
Noun
  • One of Danhausen’s minions took out Mysterio with a flipping dive on the outside.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Daniel isn’t this devil’s only minion; Armand’s got an Illumination movie’s worth of cronies doing his bidding.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Definition of minion

Browse Nearby Words

underlines
underling
underlings
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underling. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All