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
-
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.
Some scientists say the guidance understates the possibility of airborne spread in indoor settings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
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
And all that likely understates how much people rely on chatbots, says Aleyda Solis, founder of SEO and AI optimization agency Orainti.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
He who asserts that Irish disloyalty or discontent has not declined understates the case.
From A Leap in the Dark A Criticism of the Principles of Home Rule as Illustrated by the Bill of 1893 by Albert Venn Dicey
