UNDERSTATES Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

understates

verb

present tense third-person singular of understate

as in minimizes

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.

Related Words

Relevance

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 understates The headline capacity number understates what’s actually happening at the Benito Villamarín. — Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 But over the last 12 months, inflation has nearly kept pace with hourly wage gains — and that understates the extent of the problem because debt service costs are not included in the consumer price index. — ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, the official bond tally that’s hitting the market understates all the actual borrowing that’s going on to fund the AI boom. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 31 July 2026 There are reasons to believe this understates the problem, though. — Andrew E. Busch, The Conversation, 23 July 2026 That split between process and outcomes has left them 90 minutes from something the table understates. — Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 23 May 2026 Andrew Higgins, an aerospace engineer at McGill University, worries that the LEGO-like way that SR-1 Freedom has been planned—with lots of parts from different, unrelated projects just waiting to be bolted together—vastly understates the challenge ahead. — David W. Brown, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2026 That number understates the destruction. — Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026 Despite our efforts to provide accurate information, the editorial board’s column understates UCHealth’s uncompensated care, mischaracterizes our service to Medicaid patients and perpetuates misconceptions about investment income. — Elizabeth B. Concordia, Denver Post, 29 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for understates

Verb

Conduct yourself in a way that minimizes unnecessary harm to innocent people.

— Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2026
Why reward a debt collector if your agent can negotiate an agreement that minimizes your loss?

— Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of minimizes

Verb

Democratic lawmakers demand investigations and an oversight visit, alleging dangerous conditions and poor treatment aboard the Lincoln, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismisses the reports as exaggerated and misrepresented.

— Konstantin Toropin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Rhaenyra also dismisses Mysaria, a wise move carried out in a very unwise manner, given the woman’s cunning.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismisses

Verb

In her role as well as elsewhere, Kalle downplays the explicit homophobia that might have rendered this a more simplistic allegory, making Asla less a figure of interfering jealousy than a woman who simply doesn’t want to be abandoned yet again.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026
Miller also downplays concerns about competition with the Jaguar Type 01, highlighting the GT's greater versatility fcompared to Jaguar's more design-focused, less practical offering.

— James Morris, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026