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

In a world where most sports have a shady underbelly and the fixes often are in one way or another, no one is ever going to tell you that boxing of all competitions is an avarice or sticky-fingers-free zone. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026

At the center of it was Catherine, vividly sending up an entire genre of the show-business underbelly that no one ever referenced on polite middle-American network television. —Merrill Markoe, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026

From their tables, the patrons got a front row view of the underbelly of Westport. —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026

The explosive growth and permissive regulatory environment has ignited a debate about the underbelly of an industry that essentially turns many features of modern life into potential monetary wins and losses. —Bobby Allyn, NPR, 17 Jan. 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