1. to describe or present something as being smaller, less important, or less serious than it actually is

Examples

• The report understated the severity of the environmental damage.
• She tends to understate her achievements when talking about her career.
• The company understated its profits to avoid higher taxes.
• Don’t understate the importance of getting enough sleep.
• He understated the difficulty of the hiking trail to his friends.
• The news article understated the number of people affected by the storm.