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
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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
The film is a magical realist drama that confronts the dark underbelly of progress and power in contemporary Indonesia, is in post-production and was previously at the Venice Gap-Financing Market.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
The soft underbelly of the Dodgers, the concern that their fans have had from early July on, exposed itself in the seventh inning Tuesday night.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
Bad Influence unpacks Rockelle's case to expose the dark underbelly of child influencers and the adults who profit from their fame.
—James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
But the cheating allegations and the FIDE investigation are exposing the underbelly of a rarified sport known more for silence and concentration than scandal.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
The soft underbelly of the Dodgers, the concern that their fans have had from early July on, exposed itself in the seventh inning Tuesday night.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
Bad Influence unpacks Rockelle's case to expose the dark underbelly of child influencers and the adults who profit from their fame.
—James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
But the cheating allegations and the FIDE investigation are exposing the underbelly of a rarified sport known more for silence and concentration than scandal.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underbelly
Noun
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Set in 1990s Manhattan, 24 star Sutherland plays a man of faith who wages a violent war against the city’s criminal underworld.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The Asset wastes no time dropping viewers into its dangerous underworld.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Stengel’s shot, off the underside of the crossbar in the match’s dying moments, put an end to the Current’s season.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Golden mussels clog the thruster and decorate the underside of his dinghies.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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São Paulo State Military Police found Jankavski’s body in underwear, with an injury to her left eye and marks on her back.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Having had long hair for the majority of my life, getting my strands to grow anywhere past my shoulders, and eventually down to at least the bra strap across my back felt like some sort of accomplishment.—
Kayla Greaves,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Bodies quickly decompose at the bottom of the ocean or in a swamp, leaving few traces behind.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
11 Nov. 2025
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Roast cabbage and pierogies 12 to 15 minutes, then stir cabbage, flip pierogies, and swap baking sheets top to bottom.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Cherry already has a soft spot for Biancani, never mind the grueling conditioning, including countless hours of running that whipped the Hornets into shape.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Their non‑conference schedule features marquee showdowns (including a home game against the Kansas Jayhawks) and the ACC campaign offers no soft spots.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Nov. 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 18 Nov. 2025.
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