overstates

Overstates is the third-person singular present tense of the verb overstate. To overstate means to express or present something as more significant, certain, or extreme than is warranted by the available evidence. An overstatement amplifies the perceived importance of a fact, finding, or claim beyond its actual strength.

It is commonly encountered in journalism, research reporting, and policy analysis, where precise language matters. Overstatements can mislead by inflating risks, benefits, or causal claims, so readers are cautioned to look for qualifiers and supporting evidence.

To reduce overstatement, writers should qualify claims with uncertainty, present ranges or confidence intervals when possible, and cite data. Distinguish clearly between what is supported by evidence and what is conjecture, and avoid asserting causality when correlation has not been established.

Grammar notes: Overstates takes a singular subject, as in "The report overstates the risk." The related forms include overstated (past participle/adjective) and overstate (base form). The noun form is overstatement.

See also: overstate, exaggeration, understatement.