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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Recent Examples of underlings
The Canadian-Norwegian co-production for CBC and NRK follows a spoiled Norwegian factory heir from the 1800s, who forces a group of reluctant underlings to the American Wild West to gather material for his novel.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 May 2026
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
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlings
Noun
-
This lines up with earlier work showing that constructive self-talk is linked to higher creativity, stronger leadership ratings from peers and subordinates and lower job strain.—
Heather Yerrid,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Maybe Aziraphale’s hope of using him to bring about peace on Earth, the part of the plan his subordinates seem to find most objectionable, isn’t so misplaced after all.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Your president and his minions spread war, chaos, lies and economic instability.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Competing alongside two Americans, Roper (John Saxon) and Williams (Jim Kelly), Lee methodically dispatches Han’s henchmen and avenges his sister’s death in the process.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
20 May 2026
-
The silent henchmen opened the Lada’s back door and got in beside me, leaving the passenger seat empty.—
Abraham Jiménez Enoa,
The Dial,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underlings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlings. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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