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

When Jones got up, Gardner said the Patriots player bumped into him — and the Jets cornerback shoved him after he said he took an inappropriate shot below the belt.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2023

"The knockdown, which the judge said was below the belt, you can look back and see where the punch landed, the waistband of his shorts," he said.

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