Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

understate

[uhn-der-steyt] / ˌʌn dərˈsteɪt /


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

Or do they understate underlying pressure because those same effects aren’t actually one-offs but persistent forces shaping the economy?

From The Wall Street Journal May 31, 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

In that sense, these adjustments may understate the effect of maintaining a given standard of consumption.

From Slate Apr. 24, 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

“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

So, the leverage target likely understates its gearing.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 24, 2026

Economists say the CPI probably understates the true rate of inflation owing to the government shutdown last fall.

From MarketWatch Mar. 13, 2026

He says dismissing concerns as a GTA-style moral panic "understates what is changing".

From BBC Dec. 13, 2025

Illinois boosters say our beautiful rich black soil averages ten feet in depth, but I think this understates the case—at least our beautiful black dirt roads seem to be deeper than that in the spring.

From Homeburg Memories by George Fitch

Many French A-listers, drawn to the understated charm of Cap-Ferret over the glitz of the French Riviera, spend their vacations there or own homes on the peninsula.

From Barron's Jul. 24, 2026

His understated reaction before clasping hands with Rushing seemed to simply say, I guess I did that.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 19, 2026

The petition committee said the values on the tracker are often slightly understated due to the time it takes to collect signature sheets, process them, and update the website.

From Salon Jul. 9, 2026

But the feature dithers in development, which becomes something of a running joke here; the shot of a stone-faced Mr. McElwee watching a ridiculous promo reel is a moment of perfectly understated comedy.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 9, 2026

The houses were not as spectacular as those that lined River Street, but many of them were older and more tastefully understated.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

A U.K. parliamentary inquiry concluded that the government mis-sold loans to students for over a decade by understating their eventual costs.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 19, 2026

SoFi Technologies shares rose 1.4% to $17.61 after short-seller Muddy Waters accused the company of understating debt.

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 shows that the police overstated the threat posed by the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, while understating the risk that was posed to the Israeli fans if they travelled to the area," she said.

From BBC Jan. 14, 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


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training