belly up

Definition of belly upnext

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of belly up Try polka lessons, dress in your dirndl for the costume contests, or belly up to the bar for a shotski world record attempt. — Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Midwest Living, 1 Sep. 2026 Topline Google agreed to pay $10 million for an enormous trove of business data from bankrupt Spirit Airlines—raising questions about what happens to privacy after a company goes belly up and AI swoops in. — Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 And then, suddenly, a male orca soared into view, belly up, and smashed his head into the dead fish. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 23 July 2026 Snorkel with turtles in the Tobago Cays; relax on Canouan’s Godahl Beach; or belly up to Basil’s Bar on Mustique. — Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2026 Dominick’s, a nearly century-old company that once had some 70-plus outlets across Chicagoland, went belly up at the end of 2013 as competition from independents and chains took its toll. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026 The new place has a bar to belly up to, a beat-up car for families and kids to play in and pose for the 'Gram and TikTok, and colorful neon signs. — Charlie D'agata, CBS News, 10 June 2026 The store went belly up in a few short years as the Great Depression hit. — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2026 The private patio space off of the living room bellies up to the beach, where two sunbeds and an umbrella are set up for sunset happy hours. — Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belly up
Verb
  • The Shedd Aquarium took in 10 of the 30 belugas and four dolphins stranded at Marineland, an Ontario park that closed years ago and could no longer care for them.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In June, The Times of London reported that private schools throughout the UK have lost 30,000 pupils since January 2025, and about 100 independent schools have closed entirely.
    — Ashley Baker, Vanity Fair, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, states with error rates of 6% or higher must start paying a share of their residents’ food assistance in October 2027, a bill that for Florida could approach $1 billion a year.
    — Sharmila Venkatasubban, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The orbiter's science orbit circled Mars on an extreme path, approaching as close as 227 miles (365 kilometers) and extending as far out as 49,710 miles (80,000 km).
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Peng’s wardrobe consistently locates her within China, drawing on domestic design and recognizable elements of Chinese dress.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Over time, those moments build relational capital, meaning the shared trust and history friends can draw on when life becomes difficult or a disagreement needs repairing.
    — Justin Vaughn, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Politicians pause mid-sentence, scanning the room for applause lines that will guide what comes next.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The award determined by audience ballot comes with a $10,000 cash prize.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Polo maintains a robust inner eye wall according to recent radar scans from the Hurricane Hunters, and the National Hurricane Center forecasts winds nearing 180 mph Tuesday night.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Talks restarted but tensions mounted over the nearing October 1 deadline for a $7 million a day ticking fee to WBD shareholders as the merger remained on hold.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • As the credits rolled and the movie theater lights came up, in the audience fell silent.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
  • But, as fans now learn, that didn’t preclude coming up with additional material after the fact, which the singer is saying came out in a spontaneous explosion of post-release exhilaration with her two collaborators on that album.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Belly up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belly%20up. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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