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
Listening to masterful albums like 3800 Degrees is a glimpse into the underbelly of the attention economy.
—
Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
The Penguin, for control over Gotham City's criminal underbelly in this HBO Max series.
—Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
The hypothesis is that these planets eventually lose the ability to sequester planet-warming greenhouse gases in their geologic underbelly.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Tyler Perry's gone full sicko mode with Beauty in Black, a soapy thriller about an exotic dancer who infiltrates the lives of the Bellarie beauty dynasty and disrupts its connections to a seedy criminal underbelly.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
The Penguin, for control over Gotham City's criminal underbelly in this HBO Max series.
—Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
The hypothesis is that these planets eventually lose the ability to sequester planet-warming greenhouse gases in their geologic underbelly.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Tyler Perry's gone full sicko mode with Beauty in Black, a soapy thriller about an exotic dancer who infiltrates the lives of the Bellarie beauty dynasty and disrupts its connections to a seedy criminal underbelly.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underbelly
Noun
-
Instead of this underworld, niche product, it’s becoming institutionalized.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The sequel to 2021's Furioza brings us back into the dark and unsettling Polish underworld, as a young scumbag gets stuck under the thumb of the police and has to infiltrate a notorious prison as an informant.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Add beef in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned on underside, about 5 minutes.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Secured by six snaps, the removable top panel features nylon mesh on its underside to provide similar dust protection to the bottom filter.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There is growing optimism that the global oil glut—exacerbated by ongoing OPEC production hikes—will peak in the first half of 2026, allowing for the industry to rebound in the back half of next year, CEOs said.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
-
One that’s without obvious world class centre-backs in the absence of Gleison Bremer.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Austin ranked last with 166 gallons per day per capita, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area ranked third from the bottom with less than 200 gallons per day per capita.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Oct. 2025
-
At bottom, that’s the thing that grinds my gears.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Maura’s got a soft spot in her heart for criminals, foreign or domestic.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Besides, Tom clearly has a soft spot for misfits.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The actress manages to pull this off with subtlety and grace in a movie that could have easily gone straight for the emotional jugular.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
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Two months before Twilight kicked off the glittery vampire craze, Alan Ball’s True Blood had already put an original, sexy spin on the jugular-draining genre.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underbelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underbelly. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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