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
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
There is space in behind for opposition attackers to exploit and this has given Spurs a soft underbelly.
—
Graham Ruthven, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
Dirty Hands kicks-off in the underbelly of Chicago when a routine drug deal goes bad for the Denton brothers, Richie (Muldoon) and Danny (Kevin Interdonato).
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2024
An 18-year-old who has just been released from a juvenile detention center meets an alluring older man who teaches him how to survive in the underbelly of São Paulo.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
But for all the absorbing spectacle, the race also had dark secret, an underbelly of corruption owing to a raft of doping violations that would emerge over time.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for underbelly 
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Graham Ruthven, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
Dirty Hands kicks-off in the underbelly of Chicago when a routine drug deal goes bad for the Denton brothers, Richie (Muldoon) and Danny (Kevin Interdonato).
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2024
An 18-year-old who has just been released from a juvenile detention center meets an alluring older man who teaches him how to survive in the underbelly of São Paulo.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
But for all the absorbing spectacle, the race also had dark secret, an underbelly of corruption owing to a raft of doping violations that would emerge over time.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for underbelly
Dictionary Entries Near underbelly
Cite this Entry
“Underbelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underbelly. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
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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