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

Synonyms of underbelly

• underworld

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

The Investigation Discovery series purports to expose the underbelly of pop culture's most infamous moments through in-depth interviews and industry analysis. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026

But there is a dark underbelly to that freedom, and this is it. —Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026

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

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for underbelly

• vermicelli
• allele
• appellee
• ocelli
• belly
• deli
• felly
• jelly
• kellie
• melly
• nellie
• nelly

Kids 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