as in muted
not excessively showy
the actor's understated interpretation of the lead role is surprisingly compelling
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in minimized
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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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of understated
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2025
Hegseth went on to announce an understated but crucially important set of changes aimed at empowering hard-nosed leaders – and giving them chances to learn from their failures.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Howard Walker, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2025
Chef Jason Hansen created one of our other favorites in town — the burger at Stewart’s, now Gus Gus — and his commitment to a juicy, interesting burger cannot be understated.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for understated
Adjective
Hall has an understated manner that belies her ability to catch people up in the gravitational pull of her mission.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2025
Hegseth went on to announce an understated but crucially important set of changes aimed at empowering hard-nosed leaders – and giving them chances to learn from their failures.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
Mettang explains that the exterior of the Phantom was kept intentionally understated so as not to distract from the interior.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2025
Chef Jason Hansen created one of our other favorites in town — the burger at Stewart’s, now Gus Gus — and his commitment to a juicy, interesting burger cannot be understated.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for understated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for understated
Adjective
-
It was all suitably muted and understated.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
25 Oct. 2025
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BeCalm is full of smart little touches that make life easier — think hidden pockets for your phone, buttery-soft fabrics that never cling, and muted tones that actually make getting dressed feel calming.—
Katie Ann Lehman,
StyleCaster,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Insider sports gambling is a legitimate crisis for the NBA and should not be minimized.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
26 Oct. 2025
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Readers urged her to trust her instincts and not allow herself to be minimized.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With stunning celerity, possibility becomes probability and then certainty, as readers reject the quiet, circuitous, and unglamorous narratives of prudential compromise, ambiguous diplomacy, or incremental progress.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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Still, this isn’t about contemplation or quiet reflection.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Fernandez decorated the home’s interiors with a warm, subdued palette to give the place a serene family-friendly vibe.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
24 Oct. 2025
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Our second club gig was much more subdued.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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India lost its review in desperation to get Wolvaardt dismissed, and then gambled with Verma’s gentle off-breakers.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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The lawsuit was dismissed in March after a judge found the group had no standing to pursue the claims made.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The same restrained values of democracy have always marked the White House—a stately house, but not an imperial one.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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Cooper—director of pictures like Crazy Heart, Hostiles, and most recently The Pale Blue Eye—makes sure the proceedings are always restrained and respectful.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Cavanagh downplayed the need for NBCUniversal to bulk up with more assets after the Versant spinoff.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
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Houston leaders have downplayed the possibility of a serial killer following a rash of recent deaths involving the city's 2,500 miles of bayous, with Mayor John Whitmire blaming homelessness and substance abuse.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In the years since that race, Gaines has established herself as an unofficial face of conservative attacks on the NCAA, joining a March 2024 lawsuit accusing the association of violating Title IX by allowing trans athletes to compete.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
28 Oct. 2025
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Trump, on the 2024 campaign trail, repeatedly downplayed ties to the controversial conservative playbook Project 2025, but now many of his second-term Administration’s policies mirror it.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Understated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understated. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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