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
Viewers may find their allegiances shifting as the series progresses and one half of the couple bares their teeth while the other is showing their soft white underbelly.
—
Sarah Rodman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
Cashmere is expensive because these goats produce a limited amount of this precious fiber, found on their underbellies, and the process of obtaining the wool is labor-intensive.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Our core tension is a cute game with a dark underbelly.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
At its best, reality TV thrives as one of the few television formats that allow genuine insight into the fleshy underbelly of human behavior — albeit edited and manipulated to a producer’s satisfaction.
—Shamira Ibrahim, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
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.
Sarah Rodman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
Cashmere is expensive because these goats produce a limited amount of this precious fiber, found on their underbellies, and the process of obtaining the wool is labor-intensive.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Our core tension is a cute game with a dark underbelly.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
At its best, reality TV thrives as one of the few television formats that allow genuine insight into the fleshy underbelly of human behavior — albeit edited and manipulated to a producer’s satisfaction.
—Shamira Ibrahim, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
Cite this Entry
“Underbelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underbelly. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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
