belly-up

1 of 2

adjective

bel·​ly-up ˈbe-lē-ˈəp How to pronounce belly-up (audio)
: hopelessly ruined or defeated
especially : bankrupt
the business went belly-up

belly up

2 of 2

verb

bellied up; bellying up; bellies up

intransitive verb

: to move close or next to
bellied up to the bar

Examples of belly-up in a Sentence

Verb belly up to the buffet table and help yourselves
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Usually, a belly-up fish isn’t long for this world. Elizabeth Anne Brown, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023 Small fish float belly-up alongside snakelike tubes of irrigation piping. Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2023
Verb
After his plan to cancel Cesar goes belly up, Clodio decides to change methods — elaborate trolling won’t suffice — and launches a run for mayor. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024 The investment firm Lehman Brothers had gone belly up and banks were not lending. Jordyn Holman, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for belly-up 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from the floating position of a dead fish

First Known Use

Adjective

1918, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of belly-up was in 1880

Dictionary Entries Near belly-up

Cite this Entry

“Belly-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belly-up. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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