to put it mildly
idiom
—used to say that a statement is actually an understatement and that the thing referred to is actually larger, more important, more serious, etc.
It was a difficult experience, to put it mildly.
Examples of to put it mildly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While the middle class is stalling, to put it mildly, the irredeemably rich appear to be getting even richer.
—
Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
January has been a difficult month, to put it mildly.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
This is hard, to put it mildly.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
The Iranian government has long maintained a rather trigger-happy approach to censorship, to put it mildly.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for to put it mildly
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Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
January has been a difficult month, to put it mildly.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
This is hard, to put it mildly.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
The Iranian government has long maintained a rather trigger-happy approach to censorship, to put it mildly.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for to put it mildly
Cite this Entry
“To put it mildly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to%20put%20it%20mildly. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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