belly-up

1 of 2

adjective

bel·​ly-up ˈbe-lē-ˈəp How to pronounce belly-up (audio)
: hopelessly ruined or defeated
especially : bankrupt
the business went belly-up

belly up

2 of 2

verb

bellied up; bellying up; bellies up

intransitive verb

: to move close or next to
bellied up to the bar

Examples of belly-up in a Sentence

Verb belly up to the buffet table and help yourselves
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
In a single weekend in July 2024, that included at least 400 fish floating belly-up or washing up on shore, according to the city. John Wenzel, Denver Post, 30 July 2025 This is the sweaty world of NASCAR, where mechanics lie belly-up beneath racecars, their hands covered in grime. Sophie Levenson, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025 At the Boise Towne Square mall, about a quarter of a mile from the Kal Pacific properties that are facing foreclosure, another project also appears to be belly-up. Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 24 June 2025 Images of the wreckage that showed the plane lying belly-up went viral. Rachel Wolf, Fox News, 21 Feb. 2025 The plane was found belly-up in three pieces, and all 64 people aboard were killed, officials said Thursday. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2025 BitcoinBuilder, Jones’s exchange, had a significant amount of funds tied up in Mt. Gox, once the world’s largest exchange and which went belly-up after hackers siphoned approximately $500 million from under its owner’s nose. Ben Weiss, Fortune Crypto, 11 Apr. 2023
Verb
Swashbucklers, scoundrels, bandits and buccaneers will soon be bellying up to the bar inside a lively new pirate pub at Walt Disney World that’s already booked solid for the first two months and promises to be a must-have reservation for visitors. Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025 Marczyk Fine Foods was slated to occupy a space in the Origin Hotel, but that plan went belly up in 2019. John Aguilar, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2025 Now, belly up to USA TODAY's Bars of the Year with Mackensy Lunsford. Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 30 July 2025 Sprawled out and his belly up, Chevy stared up at the ceiling. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025 Indeed, the restaurant strikes me as a perfect choice for solo dining: belly up to the bar for a glass from the strong wine list, which foregrounds small producers, and order something to nibble on, or dive into, or bask in. Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 15 June 2025 Imagery of the aftermath showed vehicles submerged, some belly up. Dennis Romero, NBC news, 13 June 2025 Doing so might risk being sued by 401(k) investors in the future if their crypto investment goes belly up, Chao said. Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 28 May 2025 George Wendt, who bellied up to the bar to portray the beer-quaffing everyman Norm Peterson for all 11 seasons of the fabled NBC sitcom Cheers, has died. Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from the floating position of a dead fish

First Known Use

Adjective

1918, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of belly-up was in 1880

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Belly-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belly-up. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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