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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of underbelly
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
This caustic underbelly of the internet has never been closer to the surface.
—Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 5 Mar. 2026
His unabashed depiction of America’s underbelly is super popular in Europe.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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
This caustic underbelly of the internet has never been closer to the surface.
—Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 5 Mar. 2026
His unabashed depiction of America’s underbelly is super popular in Europe.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underbelly
Noun
-
In addition to serving as a showrunner, Levy stars as Nicky, an openly gay pastor who gets wrapped up in a shady underworld plot with his flailing sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega).—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Based on the William Lashner novel, Kockroach is the story of a mysterious stranger who takes on New York’s criminal underworld, transforming himself into a larger-than-life crime boss in a city where power is everything.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Cleaning pro Trish Duarte says this method works well for the underside of blades, blade edges, and the light figure part.—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Look for larvae on the undersides of leaves.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Mullett says her injuries included a broken back, a broken left leg, a shattered pelvis and head trauma.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Freeman walked over and gifted KK a jersey with his number and her name on the back.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With the Yankees down a run in the bottom of the ninth, Jose Caballero lined a two-RBI walkoff double into left-center field off of Jordan Romano to give the Bombers a comeback 5-4 win.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The cozy fleece bottoms have a flattering straight-leg fit and feature subtle side piping, giving them a fashionable, sporty effect.—
Melony Forcier,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Players who serve as captains, leaders or prove their ball-loving background by playing through injuries have long owned a soft spot in the Bengals’ drafting heart.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Signs such as cracks in the foundation or holes from soft spots in the walls, ceilings, or floors are all signs that moisture has been sitting in your home for a while and turned into mold.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Wolf packs on the hunt encircled their prey—typically elk—clamping at the jugular when their target grew weary from the chase.—
Nidhi Sharma,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The change added a room where prisoners are to be examined and prepped for either a standard peripheral IV, or a central line — a more invasive procedure that inserts into the internal jugular in the neck, a femoral vein in the upper thigh or a subclavian vein in the chest.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underbelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underbelly. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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