underling
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of underling
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Shock them—jerk some tear ducts—then shock again,” he tells one underling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
“Fuze’s” version of a joke is when an anxious underling pipes up to ask for permission to speak.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
On Tuesday, he held a press conference to announce relatively minor news that could have been delivered by an underling: He intended to move U.S.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2025
While the geopolitical machinations rumble on, the underling success of Georgia’s second-hand car industry can be explained by its geography.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2024
I will duly retreat to the position of the good volunteer, the invisible underling.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
