as in minimizing
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 understating
In the Gilded Age, inflating assets and understating liabilities was standard practice across a booming system.
—
Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
There is no understating the size and weight of the Panthers losing team captain Aleksander Barkov to knee surgery expected to be season-ending — a massive blow that reverberates across hockey.
—Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
Along the way, commentators have scuttled important details, understating or overstating the movement's potential spoils and perils.
—Jerel Ezell, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
The lack of a clear definition affects trainings on campus (incoming students are required to complete Title IX prevention trainings), campus outreaches, and even understating which supportive measures are mandated to be utilized by counseling centers.
—Eric Wood, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
There is no understating the authenticity of Jelly Roll.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024
The beer segment continues to do the heavy lifting — and that might even be understating it.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2024
Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
There is no understating the size and weight of the Panthers losing team captain Aleksander Barkov to knee surgery expected to be season-ending — a massive blow that reverberates across hockey.
—Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
Along the way, commentators have scuttled important details, understating or overstating the movement's potential spoils and perils.
—Jerel Ezell, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
The lack of a clear definition affects trainings on campus (incoming students are required to complete Title IX prevention trainings), campus outreaches, and even understating which supportive measures are mandated to be utilized by counseling centers.
—Eric Wood, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
There is no understating the authenticity of Jelly Roll.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024
The beer segment continues to do the heavy lifting — and that might even be understating it.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for understating
Verb
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Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
25 Oct. 2025
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Macy is a surprisingly empathetic narrator, seeking to find common ground with QAnon conspiracists and Second Amendment fundamentalists, without ever minimizing her own beliefs.—
Grace Byron,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the aftermath of the meeting, LSU personnel met to discuss the viability of dismissing the coach, considering his massive buyout clause.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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Comments such as these underlie the medical establishment’s long history of dismissing women’s pain, which can further harm their health.—
Tanya Lewis,
Scientific American,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As a book by the late Virginia Giuffre sparks new international interest in Jeffrey Epstein, House Republicans are still downplaying the need for a vote on releasing the Justice Department’s case files.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, Sherrill, who is also a former federal prosecutor, has blasted Ciattarelli's former medical publishing company for producing materials downplaying the dangers of opioids.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Understating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understating. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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