understate
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:
Cash payments help businesses understate turnover to stay below the VAT threshold, while cash wages help them avoid payroll taxes.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
While this approach simplifies planning, it can miss important differences in how inflation actually affects retiree budgets and may understate the real pressure on long-term purchasing power.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
But if they are broadening into something more persistent, the trimmed mean will understate inflation, possibly by a lot.
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
“I cannot understate the complexity and engineering involved in setting up the interiors for a head-of-state type airplane,” White said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
Francis saw no reason to understate the power of the helical theory and within several minutes revealed the way Bessel functions gave neat answers.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
![]()
But he understates the scope of the issue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 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
Economists say the CPI probably understates the true rate of inflation owing to the government shutdown last fall.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 13, 2026
Marco Lavagna, head of Argentina’s Indec statistics agency, stepped down Monday after the government delayed plans to update the country’s inflation index, which economists said understates current price increases.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
McKee always understates the British force and loss, and greatly overstates the loss and force of the Americans.
From The Winning of the West, Volume 4 Louisiana and the Northwest, 1791-1807 by Theodore Roosevelt
Some analysts say so-called “quiet luxury” — the understated but expensive styles found on TV shows like “Succession” — is on its way out, as shoppers turn to more ostentatious pieces.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Those numbers are likely understated: Many holdings were listed with a range of values, or simply as “over $50,000,000,” as is customary for government financial disclosures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Harryhausen’s influence on later filmmakers, from George Lucas to Tim Burton and on through Wes Anderson, can’t be understated.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
The small change went a long way for buyers with smaller wrists, or who were looking to get something more understated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
A quiet strength and subterranean power exuded from his body with understated insistence.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
![]()
That’s understating it: Satellite data weekly updated by the European Union confirm that Canada’s total burned area in 2026 by Aug. 5 was below the 2012-25 average the EU uses as a baseline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The move came just hours after the company faced allegations of understating debt and intentionally deceiving shareholders from short-seller firm Muddy Waters.
From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 2026
U.S. accounting rules for intangible assets have been subject to criticism for potentially understating their true value or sometimes excluding some internally developed assets entirely.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 18, 2026
He also found the force in its advice had overstated the threat posed by the Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters, while understating the risks posed to the Israeli fans.
From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2026
In a tone that suggested she was understating things greatly, she told Dill that he’d be able to buy a few textbooks with the royalties.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
![]()
Vocabulary lists containing understate
Black Boy
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
under (below)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!