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

Synonyms

• demimonde
• demiworld
• half-world
• netherworld
• underworld

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

Roger Ebert famously panned it, though other critics hailed it as a brave and unsparing look at the underbelly of small-town ordinariness. —Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2025

It’s been restored from the original camera negative, making the story of Travis Bickle’s journey through the underbelly of New York City grittier and more tactile than ever before. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2024

Ugarte’s love of defending and pure athleticism should help bolster a United side that has had a soft underbelly in recent years. —Carl Anka, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024

Also neat is that half of the underbelly is ridged, for some added texture. —Kristin Canning, SELF, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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