as in minimizing
to place too low a value on
we had underestimated her ability to raise the start-up money for her own design firm
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Recent Examples of underestimating
Water worries Sea levels are on average 1 foot higher than previously assumed, raising alarms that the world is underestimating how much land and how many people will be affected by rising oceans.
—
Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Most damningly, Schoen’s hang ups on winning negotiations, prioritizing positional value and being right — while underestimating or having no feel for the locker room and its leadership, culture and dynamic — have had lingering effects on the team’s psyche and belief.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
Stocks sold off Friday , with the Dow Jones Industrial Average last tumbling more than 600 points after the latest wholesale inflation print showed traders have been underestimating pricing pressures.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Healthcare is often one of the largest expenses in retirement, and underestimating these costs can strain retirement income.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Many workers also misunderstand Social Security's role in retirement, either overestimating or underestimating its importance, experts note.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
But if current polls are to be believed, the administration seems to be underestimating the everyday decency and patriotism of the American public.
—Laura K. Field, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Houston believes that opposing teams make a big mistake underestimating Thomas because of his height.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Chief among them was underestimating the change management required to bring a global workforce along.
—Peter High, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Most damningly, Schoen’s hang ups on winning negotiations, prioritizing positional value and being right — while underestimating or having no feel for the locker room and its leadership, culture and dynamic — have had lingering effects on the team’s psyche and belief.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
Stocks sold off Friday , with the Dow Jones Industrial Average last tumbling more than 600 points after the latest wholesale inflation print showed traders have been underestimating pricing pressures.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Healthcare is often one of the largest expenses in retirement, and underestimating these costs can strain retirement income.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Many workers also misunderstand Social Security's role in retirement, either overestimating or underestimating its importance, experts note.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
But if current polls are to be believed, the administration seems to be underestimating the everyday decency and patriotism of the American public.
—Laura K. Field, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Houston believes that opposing teams make a big mistake underestimating Thomas because of his height.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Chief among them was underestimating the change management required to bring a global workforce along.
—Peter High, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underestimating
Verb
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Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Mar. 2026
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Astronaut menus are carefully constructed to maximize nutrition and calories while minimizing storage requirements, preparation needs, and the possibility of contamination.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Even so, Andersen says the market is undervaluing Novo's long-term competitiveness in the GLP-1 market.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
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The Paramount lawsuit argues that artificially undervaluing those linear cable assets could make WBD appear weaker, thereby justifying a lower enterprise valuation and acquisition price.—
Corey Martin,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underestimating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underestimating. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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