1
as in underworld
a social sphere that exists outside of the mainstream
unable to get work in mainstream films, the actor ended up in Hollywood's underbelly—the porn industry
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2
as in underside
the side or part facing downward from something
the underbelly of the old submarine is in bad shape
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in back
a vulnerable point
the vast, thinly guarded southern border was obviously the underbelly of the nation's line of defense
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of underbelly
There would be heroin dens and gay bars and this underbelly of popular culture at the time.
—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
The energy infrastructure is their soft underbelly.
—
NBC news,
17 May 2026
Their first album in four years, Dancing on the Wall, reflects a group that's been famous long enough to know what a golden goose’s underbelly looks like.
—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Derrek Miranda, the man behind the Whitewallstuntz social media accounts that gained popularity in the last year documenting Los Angeles’ underbelly, said his Instagram account was deactivated after posting a video of the April 25 speed run.
—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
The energy infrastructure is their soft underbelly.
—
NBC news,
17 May 2026
Their first album in four years, Dancing on the Wall, reflects a group that's been famous long enough to know what a golden goose’s underbelly looks like.
—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Derrek Miranda, the man behind the Whitewallstuntz social media accounts that gained popularity in the last year documenting Los Angeles’ underbelly, said his Instagram account was deactivated after posting a video of the April 25 speed run.
—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underbelly
Noun
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The show, which starts in 1977 in Naples, follows Pietro Savastano – a tough city kid from a poor neighborhood – who is set to enter the criminal underworld as a means of survival.
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The shooters in the deadly K Street massacre moved within the complex orbit of criminal gangs and their offshoots that make up Sacramento’s underworld, an expert on the capital city’s gang culture testified Monday.
Noun
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Your yearnings whet the underside of her tongue, as familiar as the thrum of her own pulse.
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All of which could have made her a comic-book heroine with a haunted underside, if the move had a haunted underside.
Noun
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Witnesses testified that Sherman, who had grown paranoid, was armed with a gun and shot Makinano twice in the back as Makinano attempted to get away.
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Your agent is not going to watch your back, your manager is not going to watch your back.
Noun
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Both of these sightings were enough to convince me to add the summer-ready bottoms to my own wardrobe (seriously, the pants have been living rent-free in my mind since her initial outfit).
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Haiti trails at the bottom with 0.
Noun
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Millennials have a soft spot in their hearts for babydoll tops.
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For many Haitian fans, there were mixed emotions in a country that has long had a soft spot for Brazil’s soccer team.
Noun
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And then Alvarez went for the jugular with a grand slam to deep center field.
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The president’s instinct to go for the jugular was on display in his first campaign, when he was written off early on as an entertainer but found success with brutal takedowns.
Cite this Entry
“Underbelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underbelly. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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