understate
verb (used with object)
to state or represent less strongly or strikingly than the facts would bear out; set forth in restrained, moderate, or weak terms.
had been understating
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past perfect progressiveof understate.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The gauge hadn't been bragging, it had been understating; the car had more speed than the instrument could register.
From The Cosmic Computer by H. Beam Piper
