put it mildly

Idioms  

1. Understate, say without exaggeration, as in It's a fairly long way to walk, to put it mildly—twenty miles or so. [First half of 1900s]

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

put it mildly

However, in the much-discussed third season reunion, and many of the episodes leading up to it, it became clear that their relationship, whatever its status, is troubled, to put it mildly.

From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026

"To put it mildly, this is bananas," said David Tannenbaum, director of Blackstone Compliance Services, a consultancy specialising in maritime sanctions.

From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026

Boy Throb lacks the obvious singing talent or physical coordination of the Backstreet Boys, One Direction or BTS, to put it mildly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026

Neither of those were great times to be buying stocks, to put it mildly.

From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026

Mount Washington sometimes gets a little gusty, to put it mildly, and this was a particularly breezy day.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson