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
Ferguson is a strong route runner, has the instincts to find the soft underbelly of a zone defense and wins 50-50 balls (Nix needs someone else to do this besides Courtland Sutton).
—
Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2025
The soft underbelly has been exposed time after time and, even on a day when there was more organisation, determination and resilience than in previous displays, that underlying weakness was still exploited before the end.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
The primary retracting wheels flank the brush roll, with an omnidirectional caster wheel at the front of the underbelly.
—PCMAG, 28 Feb. 2025
Love planet Venus starts retrograding in your enigmatic eighth house on March 1, prompting a review of the hidden underbelly of all your closest bonds.
—Nina Kahn, StyleCaster, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
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.
Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2025
The soft underbelly has been exposed time after time and, even on a day when there was more organisation, determination and resilience than in previous displays, that underlying weakness was still exploited before the end.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
The primary retracting wheels flank the brush roll, with an omnidirectional caster wheel at the front of the underbelly.
—PCMAG, 28 Feb. 2025
Love planet Venus starts retrograding in your enigmatic eighth house on March 1, prompting a review of the hidden underbelly of all your closest bonds.
—Nina Kahn, StyleCaster, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
Cite this Entry
“Underbelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underbelly. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share