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
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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
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
Naroditsky’s untimely death has shined a spotlight on the dark underbelly of the game that fellow pros say brought undue hostility upon the chess star in his final months.
—Corey Williams, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
In the film, former country megastar Misty Jones (Chastain) comes out of seclusion to investigate the disappearance of her missing niece (Faith), a rising country musician, and must grapple with her own past and Nashville’s seedy underbelly.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
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
Naroditsky’s untimely death has shined a spotlight on the dark underbelly of the game that fellow pros say brought undue hostility upon the chess star in his final months.
—Corey Williams, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
In the film, former country megastar Misty Jones (Chastain) comes out of seclusion to investigate the disappearance of her missing niece (Faith), a rising country musician, and must grapple with her own past and Nashville’s seedy underbelly.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underbelly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underbelly
Noun
-
The Asset wastes no time dropping viewers into its dangerous underworld.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
-
In The Furious, when his daughter Rainy is abducted, humble tradesman Wang Wei is thrust into a deadly underworld of corruption and violence.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Her statement-making look featured a sleeveless shirt covered in oversize paillettes that bled into blues on the bottom.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
-
As per usual, her shiny blond ends hugged the bottom of her ears, not a long strand in sight.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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 10 Nov. 2025.
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