SUBORDINATES Synonyms: 92 Similar and Opposite Words

subordinates 1 of 2

noun

plural of subordinate

as in underlings

one who is of lower rank and typically under the authority of another subordinates do most of the actual creation of the famous designer's clothing designs

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subordinates

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of subordinate

as in subjects

to bring under one's control by force of arms it is one of the lessons of history that more powerful civilizations often subordinate weaker ones

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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 subordinates

Noun

No matter how powerful, dictators have always needed subordinates—censors, propagandists, security guards, police officers, intelligence analysts, and local bureaucrats—to carry out their orders. — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026 Investigators have accused one of his subordinates of running a fraud scheme, though Kravchenko himself has not been charged or named a suspect. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 Additionally, while there are government rules against federal employees accepting gifts from subordinates or officials who make less than themselves, subordinates are not barred from receiving gifts from superiors. — Kristin Brown, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026 Many Hindus today identify as Shaivas, Vaishnavas, or Shaktas, sectarian groups that, respectively, worship Shiva, Vishnu, or Shakti as supreme, with all other deities considered as manifestations or subordinates. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 The judge found that the three did, in fact, violate the charter, which states that council members may not interfere with appointments or removals in the city manager’s office, or give orders to the city manager’s subordinates. — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 More broadly, struggling to name specific contributions by others even when specifically prompted to do so or remaining vague about developing subordinates are flags that the candidate may engage in toxic patterns. — Harvard Business Review, 24 Aug. 2026 Impressive Humility with peers, and something else entirely with subordinates. — Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 The supporting figures are colorful enough, though Akkabi’s sneering chief villain arguably makes less of an impression than his subordinates. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026

Verb

China subordinates the goal of improving foreign populations’ health outcomes to establishing dependency on its medical tech. — Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026 Disturbing contemporary audiences, the resulting superintelligence subordinates all human individuals — absorbing them as mere neurons in its global cortex. — Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025 Gael García Bernal brilliantly subordinates his stardom to Diaz’s discerning camera, disappearing into the role of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who, at the start of the 16th century, navigated a crew to Southeast Asia after convincing the Spanish crown to fund his journey. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subordinates

Noun

Ellison is said to be a boss who is loyal to his underlings, particularly with his own hires.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Later, Bianco directed his underlings to begin counting those ballots by hand — a potential felony under state law, which forbids anyone other than election officials from so much as touching a ballot container.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of underlings

Verb

Having started to doubt the nature of the relationship between Holmes and Evans, Fielder subjects it to extraordinary scrutiny, at which point the tables turn.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
In a finding absent from the 2025 chapter, the State Department cites an outside report saying the Cuban government subjects some political prisoners to unlawful prison labor.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of subjects

Verb

Parliament’s lower house dominates the legislative process, but the Senate plays an important role in passing constitutional amendments and approving Constitutional Court judges.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Well Organized The Solix S2000 breaks away from the oversized toolbox aesthetic that dominates the portable power station market.

— Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of dominates

Noun

Crosby can… um… provide funny reaction shots when henchmen get killed!

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
One of the villain’s henchmen was a small, shaggy blue creature with a long drooping snout and a sour expression that lived in a cigar box.

— Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of henchmen

Verb

In person, Huang subdues his ironic braggadocio with polite eye contact and rolling belly laughs at his own jokes.

— Mariella Rudi, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
El Nino also subdues the hurricane season in the Atlantic because there is so much heat in the Pacific that outcompetes the Atlantic, Berardelli added.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 May 2026