adjective
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(of a measurement) extending along the arm from wrist to armpit
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sport of or denoting a style of throwing, bowling, or serving in which the hand is swung below shoulder level
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below the arm
adverb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of underarm
Vocabulary lists containing underarm
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.
See Examples For:
But Moutet reeled off four straight games from 0-3 down, throwing in some underarm serves, dropshots and tweeners for good measure.
From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026
The ball jingles and is bowled underarm along the pitch.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
Bowling is underarm, unlike in the traditional game.
From Barron's ● Nov. 16, 2025
Tsitsipas, regularly at the centre of drama, decided tagging Altmaier was fair game following his opponent's underarm serve.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2025
In desperate straits she can make us laugh, with her main talent being radio commercials oozed out in a fabulous fashion-model voice: “Medically tested Odo-ro-no, stops underarm odor and moisture at the source!”
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Posting on TikTok, one customer claimed she wanted to "rip my armpits out", while another said her underarms felt like they were "on fire".
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2025
While the aluminum in antiperspirants can cause a type of allergic reaction called contact dermatitis for a small minority of people with sensitive skin, it’s usually perfectly safe for most underarms, she adds.
From National Geographic ● Sep. 6, 2023
Simone points out that most Leaf customers are women, because certain models are designed to shave large areas of skin, such as legs or underarms.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 3, 2023
“He made it a little bit crazy in that second set and out of nowhere started to do these underarms serves and slices and drop shots, and just breaking up the rhythm.”
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 15, 2022
She’d toss her head then and throw her arms into the air, exposing her dark-stained underarms.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
