undersell
Americanverb (used with object)
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to sell more cheaply than.
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to advertise with restraint; understate the merits of (something).
By underselling his product, he let his hearers convince themselves of its importance.
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to sell for less than the actual value.
verb
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to sell for less than the usual or expected price
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(tr) to sell at a price lower than that of (another seller)
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(tr) to advertise (merchandise) with moderation or restraint
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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undersellsimple
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undersellssimple
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have undersoldperfect
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has undersoldperfect
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am undersellingprogressive
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are undersellingprogressive
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is undersellingprogressive
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have been undersellingperfect progressive
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has been undersellingperfect progressive
Past
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undersoldsimple
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had undersoldperfect
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was undersellingprogressive
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were undersellingprogressive
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had been undersellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of undersell
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.
See Examples For:
Tribus and Gittens dance with skill and elegance, but they undersell the blink-and-you’ll-miss-them jokes so much that they barely register.
From New York Times ● May 8, 2024
Eight consecutive losses to a team probably makes that punctuation appropriate if not a bit of an undersell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2024
"Don't undersell someone who comes from outside a system to change the system," Bruce Cahan, a professional colleague, said.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2024
“I guess what I would say, to be as charitable as possible, is that there are strong incentives in politics to undersell the costs of a program like this,” he said.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 24, 2023
“He’s finding out how much we’re charging so he can undersell us!”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
His three goals here have taken his international tally to nine in 12 matches—though even that undersells how effective he is since he has spent most of those on the bench.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
But even Reitzes’ target undersells what is possible.
From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026
"Everyone starts off with the pace, but I think that really undersells Louis' value," he told Rugby Union Weekly.
From BBC ● May 22, 2025
The only way that Scott might not be a vice presidential “hopeful” is that the phrase undersells it.
From Slate ● Feb. 22, 2024
The nation that undersells its rival in foreign markets will sap the foundation of her wealth and power.
From The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. VIII by Sparks, Jared
Although he never officially requested a trade, he spoke out against the analytics models that he believed undersold his value to his team.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
The retailer said its strategy for boosting the business included the return of its "never knowingly undersold" price pledge, which it announced last week.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2024
The close-ups of their faces, as they crumple or freeze in the act of realization, are devastating, and not just for those undersold at $1.
From New York Times ● Jun. 18, 2024
Bryant had undersold his son, Kobe, by a bit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2023
She’s undersold herself because she’s not simply a hugger, she’s a damn good hugger.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Without wishing to draw the ire of Swifties, McIntyre may actually be underselling the World Cup’s potential economic impact.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
One key point: Don’t sell yourself short by underselling what you accomplished.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
“If we miss, we’ve done something totally awesome, rather than underselling what is possible.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025
After this uncharacteristic foray into newsiness, Mulaney doubled down on his self-deprecating style of underselling his series “Everybody’s Live,” which will air live weekly starting March 12 for 12 weeks.
From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2025
“Why, yes. I would be underselling my competitors.”
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
