understating in English

verb

1

describe or represent (something) as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.

the press has understated the extent of the problem

synonyms: play down, downplay, underrate, underplay, de-emphasize, trivialize, minimize, diminish, downgrade, brush aside, gloss over, put it mildly, soft-pedal, sell short

verb

• play down, downplay, underrate, underplay, de-emphasize, trivialize, minimize, diminish, downgrade, brush aside, gloss over, put it mildly, soft-pedal, sell short
• downplay, minimize

Use "understating" in a sentence

1. They had done this by artificially understating the value of bonds on their books.

2. Most energy statistics refer only to active solar-energy systems, thus vastly understating the importance of solar energy.

3. In other words, the quotation likely had the effect of understating the actual cost of transporting lumber for the transactions at issue.

4. In August 2006 he criticized the administration for continually understating the effectiveness of the insurgency: "We not told the American people how tough and difficult this could be."