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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of underlings
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
If Walden decides to elevate one of her underlings to co-chair of Disney Entertainment, there are several strong contenders from which to choose.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
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
If Walden decides to elevate one of her underlings to co-chair of Disney Entertainment, there are several strong contenders from which to choose.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlings
Noun
-
Cincinnati's now-former police chief, once sued by subordinates for alleged discrimination against White male officers, has been fired.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
That promotes stability, because the president won’t feel the need to fire subordinates to keep his job secure.—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s a steadiness to Tung/Wonder Woman that stands out for its quiet authority in a frequently goofy landscape peppered with poisonous robes and finger-eating minions.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Nobody wanted to go there — well, except the oil and gas companies aching to root around for black gold, and their most loyal minions in high places.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Key witnesses in the government’s case included Spann’s top henchmen, who cooperated with prosecutors in hopes for leniency.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
-
This is potentially disastrous, given that Josh is now in the custody of the chairwoman’s henchmen.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underlings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlings. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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