below the belt

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.

But Jospin tripped up in his 2002 presidential rematch against Chirac, making a number of gaffes, including a swipe at his opponent's age that was seen as below the belt.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

To be clear, no athlete in Milan Cortina has been accused of using shots of hyaluronic acid below the belt for the purposes of cheating at ski jumping.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

It came with around 7 minutes to play, when USC guard Will McClendon was assessed a flagrant 2 for hitting WSU forward Isaac Jones below the belt.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2024

"If he wants it, I want it, but let him not hit me below the belt," Usyk joked.

From BBC • Aug. 27, 2023

I shouldn’t have said it; mentioning his half-finished book projects was definitely below the belt.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs