as in lesser
having not so great importance or rank as another
his contention is that environment plays a subordinate role to heredity in determining what we become
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in underling
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to subject
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subordinate
Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Her peer and subordinate evaluations were mixed.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2025
In that storyline about an inappropriate relationship with his subordinate, what is his game?
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Anyone who diverges from progressive orthodoxy is excluded from faculty ranks, free inquiry is subordinated to activism, and taxpayer funds flow into administrative bureaucracies that enforce political correctness.
—Ilya Shapiro, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subordinate
Adjective
Russia Has Become the Junior Partner For Moscow, the pipeline cements its subordinate role in its partnership with China.
—Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Her peer and subordinate evaluations were mixed.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
The move came eight months after the controversial resignation of former AD Pat Hobbs, who had been under an internal investigation over an inappropriate relationship with gymnastics coach Umme Salim-Beasley, one of his subordinates.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2025
In that storyline about an inappropriate relationship with his subordinate, what is his game?
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
Anyone who diverges from progressive orthodoxy is excluded from faculty ranks, free inquiry is subordinated to activism, and taxpayer funds flow into administrative bureaucracies that enforce political correctness.
—Ilya Shapiro, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subordinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subordinate
Adjective
-
Even lesser-scale incidents like the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal and the Volkswagen emissions scandal erode trust in the institutions that help make our society possible and push it forward.—
Lindsey Witmer Collins,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Toronto’s Fred VanVleet appears to be the top target, but Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have been linked to the team at various points.—
Staff Writer
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2023
Noun
-
The film, which debuted at the Busan International Film Festival, centers on gang underlings who, oddly, compete to avoid becoming the boss while pursuing personal ambitions.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The stories involving Olympia’s other underlings, Sarah Franklin (Leah Lewis) and Billy Martinez (David Del Rio), were often minimized and isolated.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lucido's office said Martin also has a habitual offender, fourth-offense notice, subjecting him to life in prison if he is convicted of any of the primary felony charges, according to a release.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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The move would subject SpaceX to competition from space technology rivals like Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The greatest concern is for new controllers who might make less than $50,000, but even experienced controllers who make well over six figures while working six days a week may be living paycheck to paycheck without much cushion in their budgets.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Approximately 8,000 people have played in the NHL, and 7,993 have spent less time with their original teams than Ovechkin.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Narrowing searches to those with experience running a company or a major business unit means they are confined to a much smaller pool of executives with decades of experience and, because of historic hiring patterns, that talent pool is dominated by White men, Williams said.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement Although a senior member of Fatah—the secular nationalist party that dominates the Palestinian Authority—Barghouti has maintained good relations with Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls Gaza.—
Karl Vick,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But a junior who played in the backcourt alongside a first-round draft pick a year earlier?—
Dana O'Neil,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
-
He was involved in basketball through middle school, baseball through his freshman year and football through being a junior.—
Rick Mauch,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Likewise, evil will not be defeated by the emergence of an individual Chosen One, a lone hero possessed of a wand powerful enough to subdue his enemy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
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To be sure, the declines in major banks were relatively subdued Thursday.—
Alex Harring,Sarah Min,
CNBC,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2024
-
Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices.—
Frank Witsil,
Detroit Free Press,
19 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Subordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subordinate. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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