Definition of underworldnext
as in abyss
a social sphere that exists outside of the mainstream a magazine article taking an insightful look at the underworld inhabited by street people

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 underworld What to read next There, her parents are transformed into pigs and Chihiro is thrust into a vibrant but terrifying underworld. David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026 Their videos work as a modern take on the narcocorridos – ballads about the trafficking underworld that drug kingpins used to praise themselves and communicate with each other, said security expert Alexei Chévez. Rey Rodríguez, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 The series’ blend of soapy melodramatics and rough-and-tumble underworld menace will be familiar to anybody who has watched Power, but Power and its spinoffs have always been confident in their only-for-adults depictions of adults-only situations. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 Mafia romances are especially popular, delving into the gritty underworld of organized crime. Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for underworld
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underworld
Noun
  • And into the abyss of checks and balances, entitlement crept in.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • And what is perhaps most frightening, in those despondent moments that inevitably follow the exhilarating rush, is the realization that this enveloping abyss retains the imprint of our actions.
    Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • And with most of the original cast now long gone, the latest sequel often feels as cursed as that treacherous netherworld.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The Further, in other words, doesn’t just have to be a foggy, dim netherworld.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • As Moore piloted a research boat last month, the largest Great Lake was calm and pancake flat, its water so clear the bottom could be seen at multiple depths.
    Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The depths of all four are consistent with fractures and voids documented at nearby sites.
    Nolan Roth, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • This debacle plunges the Marvins into Sydney’s criminal demimonde, where Susi is part of an organization headquartered in an amusement park and led by another brother-sister duo, this one terrifyingly unhinged.
    Judy Berman, Time, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The gumshoe’s exploits, punctuated with suspense, dark comedy and a motley cast unique to the demimonde of the Mexican capital, have been made into films and a Netflix series and translated into English and other languages.
    Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Underworld.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underworld. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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