understating

verb

present participle of understate
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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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 understating Recent warnings about the potential destructive power of AI are understating the severity of the situation. — Geoffrey Irving, Time, 3 Oct. 2026 To call Molly and Frankie aimless would be, somehow, both understating the case and missing it completely. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 Investor Michael Burry went further in November 2025, estimating that big cloud firms were understating AI depreciation by about $176 billion from 2026 through 2028. — Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026 For growing families, there is no understating the importance of the family support system. — John Shumway, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 The difference between annual inflation and the cumulative effect of inflation over multiple years can create a disconnect, economists say, understating inflation’s impact on consumers. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 15 July 2026 As the rescue effort stretched into a fifth day, frustration is growing among survivors and volunteers who accuse authorities of slowing aid deliveries, restricting civilian rescue efforts and understating the true scale of the tragedy. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026 The state championship results, combined with other recent high finishes for Pepper-Jackson, are at odds with Pepper-Jackson’s lawyers’ previous claims understating the transgender athlete’s performance in girls’ events. — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 27 May 2026 Yes, Reid is understating his profound influence over it all, whether that’s directly through frequent conversations with Veach or via what’s simply understood between them by now. — Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for understating
  1. minimizing
  2. dismissing
  3. downplaying
Verb
  • Compensation and advancement below the partner level can’t just be about minimizing cost.
    — Tim Brackney, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Tsai, the Stanford professor, has conducted research on how emotion in American culture puts value on trying to always feel positive and minimizing negativity and sadness.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of minimizing
Verb
  • In September, Judge Jonathan Medema ordered a stay of the civil case so the two sides could work to resolve the dispute without dismissing the case.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The court granted that request, entering judgment for the United States on Count III of the government’s complaint and dismissing the remaining counts as moot.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismissing
Verb
  • But since SpaceX floated the idea of becoming a US carrier, T-Mobile has been downplaying satellite connectivity and even suggested working with other satellite partners.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Eight states sued OpenAI this week, alleging that the AI company caused severe harm to users, many of them underage, while downplaying the risks of its technology.
    — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of downplaying

Browse Nearby Words

understates
understating
understood
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Cite this Entry

“Understating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understating. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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