How to Use understate in a Sentence

understate

verb
  • She's trying to understate the issue.
  • He understated his taxable income.
  • The thick and doughy crust was one of our faves, but the sauce and cheese are understated.
    cleveland, 10 Mar. 2020
  • The bottle is both understated and bold, just like the scent.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 13 Sep. 2024
  • To say that was rare during the Gilded age of the late 1800s is understating it.
    Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 17 Mar. 2024
  • It is understated enough to be worn with anything at all, from jeans to a tux, and the prices aren’t too crazy.
    Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 2 May 2024
  • And that may understate the decline in the supply of labor.
    Greg Ip, WSJ, 21 Sep. 2022
  • The thin white lines are understated and clean, while still adding a playful touch.
    Tasha Nicole Smith, ELLE, 26 July 2023
  • The dress code is as understated as a white linen button-up.
    Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 9 July 2024
  • The poll may understate support for the most common forms of busing.
    Washington Post, 17 Sep. 2019
  • To say the Pimm’s Cup is extremely British is to still somehow understate it.
    Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 June 2022
  • The result is a surface that feels rich and luxe yet still understated.
    Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Oct. 2023
  • There is just no way to understate how important Sunday's win was for the Colts.
    Jim Ayello, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Dec. 2020
  • Your top could be flashy or understated in a black or neutral hue.
    Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 23 July 2024
  • To say there is no love lost between Griffin and Trump is to understate a very public feud.
    Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2021
  • The loss of Redick to the New Orleans Pelicans should not be understated.
    Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, 3 Aug. 2019
  • And some states report in ways that understate their totals.
    New York Times, 21 Sep. 2020
  • The loss of Brontae Harris early in fall camp cannot be understated.
    Evan Dudley, al, 11 Sep. 2019
  • In both cases, the role of our stars is grossly understated.
    Jeff Fuhrer, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2023
  • Despite the seriousness of the build, the black-and-white pickup is understated and right at home in Alaskan snow.
    Robert Ross, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2023
  • Tesla has been known to play with the numbers, while Ford tends to understate estimates.
    Brooke Crothers, Forbes, 27 June 2021
  • As opposed to the more wild concepts, this one is understated.
    Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY, 22 Nov. 2019
  • By any metric, 2023 was one of the most impressive years of all time for a singular pop star, and even that understates how huge the year was for Swift.
    Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2023
  • The beer segment continues to do the heavy lifting — and that might even be understating it.
    Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2024
  • To start, this type of rollout shouldn’t be understated.
    Frank Fawzi, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024
  • The timing of the UW-Madison deal cannot be understated, Saba agreed.
    Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 13 May 2024
  • Hoka Bondi 8 Shoes The wear and tear of travel on your feet cannot be understated.
    Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 10 Aug. 2024
  • If anything, the team scores understate Carmel achievements.
    David Woods, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Sep. 2020
  • The passing of Bryant and his impact on the rivalry cannot be understated.
    Gary Washburn, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Feb. 2020
  • Moreover, Oakland’s crime data almost certainly understates the magnitude of the problem.
    East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 10 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'understate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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