as in minimizes
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 understates
Andrew Higgins, an aerospace engineer at McGill University, worries that the LEGO-like way that SR-1 Freedom has been planned—with lots of parts from different, unrelated projects just waiting to be bolted together—vastly understates the challenge ahead.
—
David W. Brown, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2026
Every submission now understates revenue, generating quotes with inadequate coverage for clients.
—Nico Hänggi, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026
That number understates the destruction.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Despite our efforts to provide accurate information, the editorial board’s column understates UCHealth’s uncompensated care, mischaracterizes our service to Medicaid patients and perpetuates misconceptions about investment income.
—Elizabeth B. Concordia, Denver Post, 29 Dec. 2025
Despite its warning, the LAO understates the significance.
—Joshua Rauh, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
This understates the conflict’s stakes and in particular the risk of rewarding and thereby normalizing Russia’s zeal to control Ukraine.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2025
The result is a headline inflation rate that understates the pain for the median household.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
David W. Brown, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2026
Every submission now understates revenue, generating quotes with inadequate coverage for clients.
—Nico Hänggi, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026
That number understates the destruction.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Despite our efforts to provide accurate information, the editorial board’s column understates UCHealth’s uncompensated care, mischaracterizes our service to Medicaid patients and perpetuates misconceptions about investment income.
—Elizabeth B. Concordia, Denver Post, 29 Dec. 2025
Despite its warning, the LAO understates the significance.
—Joshua Rauh, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
This understates the conflict’s stakes and in particular the risk of rewarding and thereby normalizing Russia’s zeal to control Ukraine.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2025
The result is a headline inflation rate that understates the pain for the median household.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for understates
Verb
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This minimizes the disruption to the natural contours of the streams.—
Stefan Ionescu
May 20,
New Atlas,
20 May 2026
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This minimizes the risk of being locked in lengthy procurement processes, which are often the reason for inflated costs and numerous inefficiencies.—
Miroslav Katsarov,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Russia dismisses such claims as nonsense.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
-
Goodspeed dismisses that idea as well.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Ezelle, however, downplays his role in advising DBGI.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
12 May 2026
-
Happily, in his aptly peculiar film, docmaker Xander Robin downplays the boredom in favor of the adrenalin, and even more compellingly, of the Challenge’s diverse but uniformly eccentric sociological makeup.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Understates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understates. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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