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understatement

noun

Definition of understatementnext
1
as in meiosis

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2
as in restraint

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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 With 538 rooms, to call the hotel sprawling would be an understatement. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026 To say the burden of proof is now on the Clippers would be a massive understatement. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 To say McDonald’s lovers are excited would be an understatement. — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2026 To say Summer 2026 has been a scorcher would be an understatement. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for understatement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for understatement
  1. meiosis
  2. restraint
  3. disparagement
  4. severity
  5. modesty
  6. moderation
  7. simplicity
  8. plainness
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
  • Due to the ongoing construction and current facility restraints, Belmont Park will only operate with a capacity of 6,000 during opening weekend and 4,000 after.
    — John Dias, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Perhaps showrunner and co-creator Ian Brennan showed restraint, even foresight, by keeping the Floridian killer out of Season 3’s meta movie storyline.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of restraint
Noun
  • Iamaleava could have allowed the disparagement to compound, but the starting signal-caller is using it as fuel for a 2026 season where many have the Bruins painted as a potential dark horse.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Her mother, meanwhile, is backed up by her second husband (Kwon), a mild-mannered documentary filmmaker whose profession gives his wife yet more ammunition in her smiling disparagement of Sanghee.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of disparagement
Noun
  • Other remarks made on Wednesday indicated that Judge wasn’t thrilled with Boone for disclosing the severity of his injury.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Intentionally injuring or killing a cat is considered animal cruelty, which is punishable as a first-degree misdemeanor or a third-degree felony depending on the severity and intent of the act.
    — Michael L. Hyman, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of severity
Noun
  • The structures, made of raw concrete, exuded an ostentatious form of modesty, emblematic of the town’s character.
    — Afra Wang, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2026
  • What is striking is that all these versions agree on her shyness, modesty, and propriety.
    — Eva Blanco Medina, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of modesty
Noun
  • Both abstinence and moderation support groups can be helpful.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Sober darties are rising alongside a broader moderation trend, but alcohol hasn’t disappeared from college social life.
    — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of moderation
Noun
  • Black Beans and Sausage The simplicity of this dish allows the true flavors of each ingredient to shine through, meaning the earthy black beans won’t get lost in translation, even when paired with smoky sausage.
    — Riley Wofford, Martha Stewart, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Ebicos Those who don't mind a permanent camper installation might prefer the simplicity of the Happy Dreamer Electric, which deploys and retracts with a single push of a button.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 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

Browse Nearby Words

understated
understatement
understatements
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Cite this Entry

“Understatement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understatement. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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