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View synonyms for underbelly

underbelly

[uhn-der-bel-ee]

noun

plural

underbellies 
  1. the lower abdomen; posterior ventral area, as of an animal's body.

  2. the lower surface of an object; underside.

    the underbelly of an airplane.

  3. a vulnerable area; weak point.

    an attack on the soft underbelly of Europe.

  4. a dark, seamy, often hidden area or side.

    a police officer continually exposed to the underbelly of society.



underbelly

/ ˈʌndəˌbɛlɪ /

noun

  1. the part of an animal's belly nearest to the ground

  2. a vulnerable or unprotected part, aspect, or region

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of underbelly1

First recorded in 1600–10; under- + belly
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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The rest tackle the seedy underbelly of fame.

Read more on BBC

Martin wrote it, they said, to explore the underbelly of the “troubled teen” industry, particularly the camps that became popular in the 1990s, but in a way that is almost as semi-autobiographical as “Feel Good.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In The Modern World tackles the disillusionment of getting to Hollywood and discovering its seedy underbelly.

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He’s an actor who seems to specialize in exposing the underbelly of idols, be they the wealthy brats of “Saltburn” or the King himself in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But when his latest exposé for a local publication calls into question a prominent Tulsa family, his investigation takes him on a dangerous road from the city’s seedy underbelly to its highest corridors of power.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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