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
But this is showing the underbelly of what [Matney] went through — the adversity that she was met with, the judgment, and why this person had such an instinctive pull to this story.
—
Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
There’s a soft underbelly that keeps getting exposed away from the home comforts of Anfield.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Or rather, the softer parts of its underbelly.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
High-concept sci-fi comedy with a dark underbelly?
—PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2025
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Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
There’s a soft underbelly that keeps getting exposed away from the home comforts of Anfield.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Or rather, the softer parts of its underbelly.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
High-concept sci-fi comedy with a dark underbelly?
—PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 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 18 Nov. 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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