bellied up; bellying up; bellies up
: 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
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Oct. 2025
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
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
The hilarious clip, shared on Monday under the username @caragamblee, shows the pup sleeping on the bed with his belly up and his paws stretched out, all while resting his head on the pillow.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
The river boils and bucks beneath us, and the raft’s left side smashes belly up against a rocky outcropping.
—Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
In 1998, hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management was bailed out after its highly leveraged bets on bond arbitrage went belly up after the Russian debt default.
—Alex Pron, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 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
Imagery of the aftermath showed vehicles submerged, some belly up.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 13 June 2025
Alvin Velazquez, an associate law professor at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law, said bankruptcy law is typically skeptical of anything that happens during the roughly 3-month period before a business goes belly up.
—Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 28 May 2025
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Adjective
The next shot shows the cat sprawled belly-up on the floor, purring in submission as her owner’s boyfriend knelt down to offer a series of gentle tummy rubs.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Oct. 2025
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
Knott’s Scary Farm visitors who belly up to the bar at the Calico Saloon can shout requests to a ghost pianist who plays everything from Ragtime masterpieces to summery pop hits by Katy Perry during the annual Halloween seasonal event.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
The hilarious clip, shared on Monday under the username @caragamblee, shows the pup sleeping on the bed with his belly up and his paws stretched out, all while resting his head on the pillow.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
The river boils and bucks beneath us, and the raft’s left side smashes belly up against a rocky outcropping.
—Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
In 1998, hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management was bailed out after its highly leveraged bets on bond arbitrage went belly up after the Russian debt default.
—Alex Pron, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 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
Imagery of the aftermath showed vehicles submerged, some belly up.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 13 June 2025
Alvin Velazquez, an associate law professor at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law, said bankruptcy law is typically skeptical of anything that happens during the roughly 3-month period before a business goes belly up.
—Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belly-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belly-up. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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