to put it politely

idiom

used to indicate that one is saying something in a way that shows good manners
He is not, to put it politely, the best guitar player in the world.

Examples of to put it politely in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Other assignments are like mine on Sunday – a bit boring, with two teams drastically underachieving (to put it politely). Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025 Yes, this offensive line is a work in progress, to put it politely, but the skill position players are awesome, and the defense is very good. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 Sep. 2025 The situation with the fiscal year 2026 budget for the United States is, to put it politely, kind of a mess. Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 19 Sep. 2025 Youthful Pleasures follows four estranged childhood companions attempt to recreate a perfect weekend from their past while waiting for their friend who spends to much time self-indulging in himself (to put it politely) in his grandmother’s home. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 12 June 2025 To make matters worse, players signed by Elias over the offseason have dramatically underperformed, to put it politely. Paul Bledsoe, Baltimore Sun, 21 May 2025 Several of them have been, to put it politely, clunkers. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025 Boston, to put it politely, is not considered a fashion-forward town. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 12 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“To put it politely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to%20put%20it%20politely. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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