as in to minimize
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of understate
The Yankees' struggles at third base cannot be understated.
—
Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Apr. 2025
And don’t understate this: With Jimmy Butler disengaged or suspended from late December until his trade, Miami finished last in the league in free-throw attempts per 48 minutes late in close games.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
If anything, it's been understated in the public discussion.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Arva, the Italian option, is understated and seasonal.
—Nel-Olivia Waga, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for understate
Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Apr. 2025
And don’t understate this: With Jimmy Butler disengaged or suspended from late December until his trade, Miami finished last in the league in free-throw attempts per 48 minutes late in close games.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
If anything, it's been understated in the public discussion.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Arva, the Italian option, is understated and seasonal.
—Nel-Olivia Waga, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for understate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for understate
Verb
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In this case, following a low-FODMAP diet, which cuts out certain carbs that tend to create more gas and fluid in your GI tract, can minimize pressure on your intestines and the painful bloaty feeling that comes with it.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
25 Apr. 2025
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Use plants well within your hardiness zone to minimize the risk of losing a full-grown hedge to atypical freezes.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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By de-emphasizing the will of not just Poles but also Ukrainians, Hubris underplays the key factor that brought Putin to the point of annexing Crimea in 2014: Ukraine’s fervent hope for closer trade ties with the EU.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
9 Apr. 2025
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To describe the United States’ military interventions as mishandled, for example, is to criminally underplay their impact.—
Emma Ashford,
Foreign Affairs,
29 May 2020
Verb
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Heyman dismissed fans on social media who have failed to give Rollins his flowers, saying he’s seen pro wrestlers fail in the ring and seen praise on social media for them while others spout nonsense while ignoring historical facts.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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On March 4, the day the order to show cause was to be heard, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The country subsequently downplayed the initiative, but has doubled-down on domestic tech development given U.S. restrictions in the last several years.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
18 Apr. 2025
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Kennedy downplayed diagnostic shift as a minor explanation for the increase in autism cases, but researchers have found that changes in diagnosis probably explain a majority of the increase.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Understate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understate. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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