underling
noun
un·der·ling
ˈən-dər-liŋ 
: one who is under the orders of another : subordinate, inferior
Examples of underling in a Sentence
He takes all the credit, but most of the hard work is done by his underlings.
the real estate tycoon has a whole army of underlings to attend to the details
Recent Examples on the Web
The role of Shell, ousted from his previous role running NBCUniversal after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with an underling, has been controversial.
—
Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025
What have prosecutors said about Diddy? Prosecutor Christy Slavik started to sum up the government’s case against Diddy just after 10 a.m., describing him as a ruthless lawbreaker who used an iron fist — and a network of eager underlings — to meet his every demand.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 26 June 2025
But not enough communication could lead them to suspect that underlings were trying to run the country themselves.
—Joseph Torigian, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
Walter does not conduct himself like George Steinbrenner, firing underlings seemingly at random.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for underling
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Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025
What have prosecutors said about Diddy? Prosecutor Christy Slavik started to sum up the government’s case against Diddy just after 10 a.m., describing him as a ruthless lawbreaker who used an iron fist — and a network of eager underlings — to meet his every demand.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 26 June 2025
But not enough communication could lead them to suspect that underlings were trying to run the country themselves.
—Joseph Torigian, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
Walter does not conduct himself like George Steinbrenner, firing underlings seemingly at random.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for underling
Cite this Entry
“Underling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underling. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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underling
noun
un·der·ling
ˈən-dər-liŋ
: one who is under the orders of another : subordinate
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