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
And this is far from a state of emergency, rather low-stress confirmation that there is still a soft underbelly to this England machine.
—
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Bad Influence unpacks Rockelle's case to expose the dark underbelly of child influencers and the adults who profit from their fame.
—James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
But the cheating allegations and the FIDE investigation are exposing the underbelly of a rarified sport known more for silence and concentration than scandal.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Naroditsky’s untimely death has shined a spotlight on the dark underbelly of the game that fellow pros say brought undue hostility upon the chess star in his final months.
—Corey Williams, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
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Megan Feringa, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Bad Influence unpacks Rockelle's case to expose the dark underbelly of child influencers and the adults who profit from their fame.
—James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
But the cheating allegations and the FIDE investigation are exposing the underbelly of a rarified sport known more for silence and concentration than scandal.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Naroditsky’s untimely death has shined a spotlight on the dark underbelly of the game that fellow pros say brought undue hostility upon the chess star in his final months.
—Corey Williams, Fortune, 22 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 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
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