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
Bridgewater Associates founder and billionaire Ray Dalio warned that the U.S.’s lower sovereign credit rating understates the threat to U.S. Treasurys, saying the credit agency isn’t taking into account the risk of the federal government simply printing money to pay its debt.
—
Nur Hikmah Md Ali, CNBC, 20 May 2025
German government debt levels are understated relative to reality.
—Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
The tremendous amount of work that lies ahead for the City, including MPD, cannot be understated.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
Conclusion In an era marked by global economic uncertainties and challenging market dynamics, the power of market-agnostic software—bolstered by intelligent AI and driven by clear, outcome-centric metrics—cannot be understated.
—Rafael Flores, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for understate
Nur Hikmah Md Ali, CNBC, 20 May 2025
German government debt levels are understated relative to reality.
—Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
The tremendous amount of work that lies ahead for the City, including MPD, cannot be understated.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
Conclusion In an era marked by global economic uncertainties and challenging market dynamics, the power of market-agnostic software—bolstered by intelligent AI and driven by clear, outcome-centric metrics—cannot be understated.
—Rafael Flores, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for understate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for understate
Verb
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While not always the case, most stairwells are located in the center of a building, away from windows and exterior walls, which can help minimize damage from weather events.—
Maddie Topliff,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 June 2025
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Here are recommendations for maintaining safety during a thunderstorm: To minimize risk of being struck by lightning, when going outside, have a plan to get to a safer place.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2025
Verb
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The Takacs was already a fine quartet, with a lyrical, emotionally frank sensibility that rarely underplayed the character of a phrase.—
David Allen Chet Strange,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
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But his performance as the coldly confident Conway is still an excellent part of the world Scorsese constructs, and De Niro underplays to excellent effects.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Despite seeking help from her local GP, her concerns were initially dismissed.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
6 June 2025
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Congressional Republicans, many of whom had also grown annoyed with Musk over the last few months, have largely dismissed the billionaire’s fiery opposition to the bill.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
Verb
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As recently widowed Irene Chao, Liu trades her signature strut for a self-effacing shuffle, using makeup not to accentuate her beauty but to downplay it.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
6 June 2025
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In it, a fortune teller (Vanessa Bayer) reads Tess and Anna’s palms and marvels at the fact that their life lines have intertwined in the past, while the mother-daughter duo tries to downplay that incident.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Understate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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