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.
understates
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present tense formof understate (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
And that understates the savings, because it also would have cut the $9 trillion in net interest the government has to pay on the national debt over that period.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
“This understates the costliness to U.S. households though, because tariffs also allow non-importing firms to raise their prices if they’re competing with imports,” Bivens said.
From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2026
But calling logistics “boring” understates the real barrier to scale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
He says dismissing concerns as a GTA-style moral panic "understates what is changing".
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025
The Gazette describes the Richmond somewhat incorrectly as a schooner, and likewise understates the tonnage.
From Toronto of Old by Henry Scadding
