underbelly
noun
un·der·bel·ly
ˈən-dər-ˌbe-lē 
1
: a vulnerable area
also
: a corrupt or sordid part
probing the underbelly of the entertainment industry
2
: the underside of a body or mass
Examples of underbelly in a Sentence
They exposed the underbelly of the nation's economic policy.
the sordid underbelly of city life
Recent Examples on the Web
Salazar-Thompson’s ingenious new version of Hammett’s noir masterpiece features five versatile performers transforming between roles to bring 1920s San Francisco’s underbelly to hilarious life.
—
Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Such a disintegration seems implausible for this iteration of Spurs under Ho, a project that seems to have finally evolved from its mushy underbelly into a clear and steadfast vision.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
In a world where most sports have a shady underbelly and the fixes often are in one way or another, no one is ever going to tell you that boxing of all competitions is an avarice or sticky-fingers-free zone.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
At the center of it was Catherine, vividly sending up an entire genre of the show-business underbelly that no one ever referenced on polite middle-American network television.
—Merrill Markoe, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
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Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Such a disintegration seems implausible for this iteration of Spurs under Ho, a project that seems to have finally evolved from its mushy underbelly into a clear and steadfast vision.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
In a world where most sports have a shady underbelly and the fixes often are in one way or another, no one is ever going to tell you that boxing of all competitions is an avarice or sticky-fingers-free zone.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
At the center of it was Catherine, vividly sending up an entire genre of the show-business underbelly that no one ever referenced on polite middle-American network television.
—Merrill Markoe, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
Cite this Entry
“Underbelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underbelly. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underbelly
noun
un·der·bel·ly
ˈən-dər-ˌbel-ē
: the underpart of a body or mass
the underbelly of a bomber
also
: an area open to attack or damage
the army's underbelly
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