understatement

noun

Definition of understatementnext
1
as in meiosis

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2
as in restraint

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of understatement To say the Braves need starting pitching would be an understatement, given the plethora of injuries to their pitching staff. — Jesús Cano, New York Times, 27 July 2026 What’s less arguable is the quality of Kinnear’s performance, a fine study in comic understatement at first that modulates into a delicately limned portrait of pain barely stifled. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026 To say that the singer is excited for the live trek is an understatement. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026 To say that Cucurella was pleased, when the Spanish side outwitted the French in the semifinal, would be an understatement. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for understatement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for understatement
  1. meiosis
  2. restraint
  3. disparagement
  4. severity
  5. modesty
  6. moderation
  7. simplicity
  8. plainness
Noun
  • Chromosome pairs are also essential for meiosis, the specialized type of cell division that produces sperm and eggs.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 July 2026
  • The media business always goes through some splitting of cells — meiosis and mitosis — but every industry leader concedes that consolidation is especially needed today.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 30 June 2026
Definition of meiosis
Noun
  • What can be done to put our leader in some kind of restraint?
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The dire time restraints were real, along with the contentious Zoom meetings or phone calls that have taken place over the past five months.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of restraint
Noun
  • Asserting claims for tortious interference, civil conspiracy, commercial disparagement and violations of Illinois consumer fraud laws, the Butlers sought more than $50 million in compensatory damages and over $200 million in punitive damages.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 22 June 2026
  • These disparagements cut to the core of southern manhood.
    — Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
Definition of disparagement
Noun
  • Courtney, an Army veteran who served with the 1st Ranger Battalion, immediately recognized the severity of his injury.
    — Tori Mason, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • But the Dodgers have downplayed the severity of that ailment and are under the impression that throwing doesn’t hurt it.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of severity
Noun
  • That means no social media accounts, personal possessions or handling money, and the practice of celibacy and modesty.
    — Deepa Bharath, Fortune, 17 July 2026
  • Let your natural modesty carry confidence, and speak with calm clarity.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2026
Definition of modesty
Noun
  • In 2023, Musk's X lost its attempt to block a California law requiring social media companies to disclose their content moderation policies.
    — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 29 July 2026
  • Many publishers, forums and platforms have correction, moderation or removal policies for inaccurate content.
    — Victoria Marshall, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of moderation
Noun
  • Delicate Japanese simplicity prevails while leaving whispers of the original French palatial style—such as distinctive moldings that are unique to the building.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In general, higher-performing LED systems dominate the top of the ratings, while older halogen designs tend to cluster at the bottom, constrained by lower output and less precise beam control, despite offering advantages in simplicity and cost.
    — Matthew MacConnell, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of simplicity
Noun
  • The sheer fact of filming fills a frame, even one composed with quasi-documentary plainness, with a plethora of details of narrative, expressive, aesthetic, intellectual, and historical import.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
  • To understand why men might have adopted a clothing system that prioritized plainness and conformity over color and change, this book investigates the gradual crystallization of this civic uniform of masculinity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
Definition of plainness

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Cite this Entry

“Understatement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understatement. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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