underworldun‧der‧world /ˈʌndəwɜːld $ ˈʌndərwɜːrld/ noun [singular] 
Examples
New York’s criminal underworld2 the Underworld the place where the spirits of the dead are believed to live, for example in ancient Greek stories
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- He's accused of having connections with Japan's criminal underworld.
- Owen has been active in the Los Vegas underworld for years.
- A hot new pachinko machine from a backstreet maker in Osaka has taken the underworld by storm.
- All of us have our underworld and nether world creatures with whom we carry on some inner conversation.
- Beneath its coils flows the water of the underworld.
- He was on his way to the underworld with Pirithous.
- Our reporters uncovered a generation who have been sucked into a dark underworld of solvent abuse and hard drugs.
- The money used to bribe Cronje was raised by Kishan Kumar, a failed Bollywood actor with underworld links, detectives allege.
- They were seen as the earthly links to the gods of the underworld.
- Virgil too is the only poet who gives clearly the geography of the underworld.
Longman Language Activatora group of criminals► gang
Collocations a group of criminals who work together: · Warning: gangs of pickpockets operate in this area.· Police say an armed gang stole nearly $1.9 million in a bank robbery over the weekend.
► ring a group of people who work together and organize an illegal trade, especially in something such as drugs or weapons: · Drug rings operate in most large cities of the world.· Corvino was the sixth member of the spy ring to be arrested for stealing high-tech secrets from several Silicon Valley firms.
► syndicate a large and powerful organization that controls illegal businesses and criminal activities: · The syndicates see these women as easy candidates to force into the sex trade.
► organized crime large criminal organizations that plan and control serious crime such as robbing banks or selling drugs: · The police need more resources to combat organized crime.
► underworld the group of secret organizations that plan and organize crime in a particular city: · Owen has been active in the Las Vegas underworld for years.· He's accused of having connections with Japan's criminal underworld.
WORD SETS► Crimeabet, verbaccusation, nounaccuse, verbaffray, nounarson, nounassault, nounassault and battery, nounbackhander, nounbattery, nounbigamy, nounblack market, nounblack marketeer, nounbreak-in, nounbreaking and entering, nouncaper, nouncapital, adjectivecarjacking, nouncat burglar, nouncontract, nouncosh, nouncounterfeit, adjectivecounterfeit, verbcover, nouncrack, verbcriminal, adjectivecriminal, nouncriminal law, nouncriminal record, nouncriminology, nouncrook, nounculpable, adjectiveculprit, noundefamation, noundefraud, verbdelinquency, noundelinquent, adjectivedelinquent, noundesperado, noundisorderly, adjectivedrug baron, noundrug runner, nounDUI, nounembezzle, verbexpropriate, verbextort, verbeyewitness, nounfelon, nounfelony, nounfence, nounfiddle, nounfiddle, verbfiddler, nounfilch, verbfinger, verbfire-raising, nounfirst offender, nounflash, verbflasher, nounforge, verbforger, nounforgery, nounfoul play, nounframe, verbframe-up, nounfratricide, nounfraud, nounfreebooter, noungang, noungang-bang, noungang rape, noungangster, nounGBH, noungenocide, noungetaway, noungodfather, noungrand larceny, noungrass, noungrievous bodily harm, nounheist, nounhijack, verbhijack, nounhijacking, nounhit, nounhit-and-run, adjectivehit man, nounincriminate, verbindecent assault, nounindecent exposure, nouninfanticide, nounjob, nounjoyriding, nounjuvenile delinquent, nounkidnap, verblarceny, nounlibel, nounlibel, verblibellous, adjectivelow life, nounmafioso, nounmalpractice, nounmanslaughter, nounmassacre, nounmassacre, verbmatricide, nounmisappropriate, verbmisconduct, nounmisdeed, nounmisdemeanour, nounmobster, nounmoll, nounmug, verbmugshot, nounmurder, nounmurder, verbmurderer, nounmurderess, nounmuscleman, nounnark, nounnefarious, adjectiveneighbourhood watch, nounnick, verbno-go area, nounoffence, nounoffend, verboffender, nounold lag, nounorganized crime, nounoutlaw, nounparricide, nounpatricide, nounpetty larceny, nounPhotofit, nounpiracy, nounplant, verbpoach, verbpoacher, nounpossession, nounprivateer, nounprotection, nounprowl, verbprowler, nounpublic nuisance, nounpull, verbpunk, nounpurloin, verbraid, nounram-raiding, nounrape, verbrape, nounrapist, nounravish, verbreceiver, nounreceiving, nounrecidivist, nounregicide, nounring, nounringleader, nounriotous, adjectiverob, verbrobber, nounrobbery, nounroll, verbrustler, nounscheme, nounscheme, verbshady, adjectiveshoplift, verbshoplifting, nounslander, nounsmuggle, verbsnout, nounspeeding, nounstabbing, nounstalking, nounstatutory offence, nounstatutory rape, nounsteal, verbstoolpigeon, nounsupergrass, nounsuspect, nounswag, nountheft, nounthief, nounthievish, adjectivetorch, verbtraffic, nountrafficker, nountriad, noununder-the-counter, adjectiveunderworld, nounundesirable, nounvagrancy, nounvandal, nounvandalism, nounvandalize, verbvice, nounvigilante, nounvillainy, nounviolate, verbviolation, nounwanted, adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► criminal
Word family· Nowhere is it easier to blackmail than in the criminal underworld and the grey areas of conduct that surround it.· The jargon of the criminal underworld is often referred to as argot.· Police say it's the worst assault they've seen, and they're asking for information from the criminal underworld.· Now they're asking for help from Swindon's criminal underworld.
WORD FAMILYnounworldunderworldworldlinessadjectiveworldworldly ≠ unworldlyworldwideadverbworldwide
1the criminals in a particular place and the criminal activities they are involved in: New York’s criminal underworld2 the Underworld the place where the spirits of the dead are believed to live, for example in ancient Greek stories