idiom · neutral
have something under one's belt
UK/hæv ˈsʌmθɪŋ ˌʌndə wʌnz bɛlt/US/hæv ˈsʌmθɪŋ ˌʌndər wʌnz bɛlt/have·some·THING·UN·der·one's·BELT
to have gained experience, skill, or an achievement that can be useful later
Examples
“With two internships under her belt, she stood out at the job interview.”
“Once you have a publication under your belt, it'll be easier to apply for grants.”
“He has several marathons under his belt, so he's well prepared for the race.”
Band 8 sentence
“By the time she applied for the PhD, she already had two peer‑reviewed articles under her belt.”
Collocations
- have years of experience under one's belt
- get something under your belt
Common mistakes
have under belt→have something under one's belt
have it under the belt→have it under one's belt
Say it for a higher band
5have experience→6have something to show→7+have something under one's belt
Synonyms
have experience
Easily confused
have in the bag
“After winning the early lead, the team seemed to have the match in the bag.”
Related words
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In Study
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