UNDERSTATEMENT Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

understatement

noun

Definition of understatement

as in meiosis

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Dissimilar Words

as in restraint

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of understatement To say SpongeBob has become a cultural and global icon since then is an understatement. — Bianca Harris, USA Today, 15 July 2026 To say Friday was a case of split attention for the Miami Heat at the NBA Summer League would be an understatement. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2026 To say gas prices have been unpredictable this year would be an understatement. — Joe Hernandez, NPR, 9 July 2026 With five school-age kids heading to kindergarten through college (plus a baby), saying this is a busy time of year for our family is an understatement. — Melissa Willets, Parents, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for understatement

Recent Examples of Synonyms for understatement

Noun

Chromosome pairs are also essential for meiosis, the specialized type of cell division that produces sperm and eggs.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 July 2026
The media business always goes through some splitting of cells — meiosis and mitosis — but every industry leader concedes that consolidation is especially needed today.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 30 June 2026

Definition of meiosis

Noun

Because when everyone can generate content instantly, the real scarcity becomes originality, along with perspective, taste, restraint and conviction.

— Adam Taylor, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Indiana continues to emphasize fiscal restraint and has approved further tax reductions.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

Definition of restraint

Noun

Asserting claims for tortious interference, civil conspiracy, commercial disparagement and violations of Illinois consumer fraud laws, the Butlers sought more than $50 million in compensatory damages and over $200 million in punitive damages.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 22 June 2026
These disparagements cut to the core of southern manhood.

— Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026

Definition of disparagement

Noun

Newcastle feared an even more punitive settlement and spent months in dialogue and face-to-face meetings with UEFA officials to try to reduce the severity of the punishments.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Scientists say climate change from human activities is making conditions like drought more common, thus increasing the size, frequency and severity of wildfires.

— Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

Definition of severity

Noun

Consumer attitudes, especially among Gen-Z, have shifted dramatically over the past few years, with many placing greater value on moderation, home consumption, and low-alcohol lifestyles.

— Ascend Agency, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
One faction argues that battle-ground states are won by re-assuring swing voters and projecting moderation.

— Nik Popli, Time, 8 July 2026

Definition of moderation

Noun

Unlike trends that involve shoving one pastry into another, salt bread’s virality is rooted in simplicity, capturing attention with little other than butter and a bit of salt.

— Candy Hom, AJC.com, 19 July 2026
Platformization and simplicity drive cybersecurity buyers, and organizations with an appetite for new companies are often looking to complete their platform capabilities.

— Rohit Dhamankar, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of simplicity

Noun

The sheer fact of filming fills a frame, even one composed with quasi-documentary plainness, with a plethora of details of narrative, expressive, aesthetic, intellectual, and historical import.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
To understand why men might have adopted a clothing system that prioritized plainness and conformity over color and change, this book investigates the gradual crystallization of this civic uniform of masculinity.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026

Definition of plainness

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“Understatement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understatement. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of understatement

noun

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