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.
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Recent Examples of understates
The result is a headline inflation rate that understates the pain for the median household.
—
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
In practice, that means the median sales price of new homes understates the actual discount, because many concessions don’t show up in the data.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
In practice, that means the median sales price of new homes understates the actual discount, because many concessions don’t show up in the data.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for understates
Verb
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Further modifications typically include the development of fuel nozzles that let the machine run on natural gas rather than aviation fuel, and a combustor that minimizes the emission of nitrogen oxides, a major pollutant.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
20 Oct. 2025
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Removing small amounts of the leaf blade each mowing minimizes plant stress.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The anti-American side focuses exclusively on the tragedies, usually makes slavery the chief argument for the prosecution, and dismisses the triumphs as hypocritical rhetoric.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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Some critics have interpreted the ending as a glib last-minute twist that threatens to neutralize the story’s potency and dismisses the seriousness of the movie’s premise.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Continue reading … MIXED MESSAGES – Spanberger downplays Jay Jones' text scandal as Virginia election nears.—
,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
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Combs did not deny kicking or throwing Cassie to the ground, and even downplays these acts of violence, Slavik said in her arguments this morning.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Understates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understates. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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