as in to minimize
to say that (something) is smaller, less important, etc., than it really is
He understated his taxable income. She's trying to understate the issue/problem.
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Recent Examples of understate
But he’s seen as the North American anti-Trump: a cool, calm, and understated adult in the room.
—
Sara Miller Llana, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2025
Unlike an upholstered bed frame or metal counterpart, the best wooden bed frames are the ideal foundation for a more neutral, earthy, and understated aesthetic.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2025
Even with a bold alligator bag on her arm, Jennifer Lawrence managed to make her parents’ night out ’fit look understated.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2025
These numbers surely understate the magnitudes of federal job loss, perhaps because many took severance pay or are appealing their discharges and view themselves as still employed.
—Harry Holzer, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for understate
Sara Miller Llana, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2025
Unlike an upholstered bed frame or metal counterpart, the best wooden bed frames are the ideal foundation for a more neutral, earthy, and understated aesthetic.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2025
Even with a bold alligator bag on her arm, Jennifer Lawrence managed to make her parents’ night out ’fit look understated.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2025
These numbers surely understate the magnitudes of federal job loss, perhaps because many took severance pay or are appealing their discharges and view themselves as still employed.
—Harry Holzer, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for understate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for understate
Verb
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In this case, following a low-FODMAP diet, which cuts out certain carbs that tend to create more gas and fluid in your GI tract, can minimize pressure on your intestines and the painful bloaty feeling that comes with it.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
25 Apr. 2025
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Use plants well within your hardiness zone to minimize the risk of losing a full-grown hedge to atypical freezes.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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By de-emphasizing the will of not just Poles but also Ukrainians, Hubris underplays the key factor that brought Putin to the point of annexing Crimea in 2014: Ukraine’s fervent hope for closer trade ties with the EU.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
9 Apr. 2025
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To describe the United States’ military interventions as mishandled, for example, is to criminally underplay their impact.—
Emma Ashford,
Foreign Affairs,
29 May 2020
Verb
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Heyman dismissed fans on social media who have failed to give Rollins his flowers, saying he’s seen pro wrestlers fail in the ring and seen praise on social media for them while others spout nonsense while ignoring historical facts.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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On March 4, the day the order to show cause was to be heard, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The country subsequently downplayed the initiative, but has doubled-down on domestic tech development given U.S. restrictions in the last several years.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
18 Apr. 2025
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Kennedy downplayed diagnostic shift as a minor explanation for the increase in autism cases, but researchers have found that changes in diagnosis probably explain a majority of the increase.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Understate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understate. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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