overstate

verb over·state \ ˌō-vər-ˈstāt \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Examples: overstate in a Sentence

Definition of overstate

transitive verb

: to state in too strong terms : exaggerate

overstated his qualifications

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overstatement

play \ˌō-vər-ˈstāt-mənt\ noun

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Examples of overstate in a Sentence

It would be overstating the case to say that it was a matter of life or death.
it appears you've somewhat overstated your computer skills, if you can't find the “on” button!

Recent Examples of overstate from the Web

Other Republicans say Trump’s unpopularity in Virginia is overstated.

— Washington Post, "Little-known Virginia Republicans vying for US Senate shot," 9 June 2018
And there are reasons to believe those models are systematically underestimating climate change’s economic impacts and overstating the costs of mitigating it.

— david roberts, Vox, "We are almost certainly underestimating the economic risks of climate change," 8 June 2018
The importance of being there to listen and to talk can’t be overstated.

— ruby buddemeyer, Marie Claire, "Celebrities Are Paying Tribute to Anthony Bourdain After His Death," 8 June 2018
The polling suggested that those fears were probably overstated and there was even the chance of a Republican lockout in 39th and 49th.

— harry enten, CNN, "'Top-two' fears appear overblown and women dominate in Tuesday's primary elections," 6 June 2018
The importance of a name really can’t be overstated.

— ashley edwards walker, Glamour, "Why Do So Many People Still Insist I Use My Husband’s Last Name?," 29 May 2018
Bevin and Ramsey appealed a year ago, saying the PVA had grossly overstated the value and that the mansion was rundown and needed work.

— tom loftus, The Courier-Journal, "Matt Bevin appeals higher tax value placed on his Anchorage mansion," 22 May 2018
Other studies, however, claim the wage gap is overstated and that despite salaries lagging in some states, teachers are not dramatically underpaid overall.

— david carrig, USA TODAY, "How generous are teacher benefits and do they make up for lower pay?," 16 May 2018
Creators Dan Goor and Michael Schur are no strangers to TV comedy success, but their achievement here (and that of a very strong writing staff) is hard to overstate.

— tim goodman, The Hollywood Reporter, "Critic's Notebook: In Praise of 10 Superbly Written TV Series," 23 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overstate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.