punctuate
verb
punc·tu·ate
ˈpəŋk-chə-ˌwāt 
punctuated; punctuating
1
: to mark or divide (written matter) with punctuation marks
2
: to break into or interrupt at intervals
the steady click of her needles punctuated the silence—
Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton3
: to use punctuation marks
Synonyms
Examples of punctuate in a Sentence
Do you know how to punctuate a sentence correctly?
punctuated each and every word of his denial with a pound of his fist on the table
Recent Examples on the Web
On the fifth floor, a 6,000-square-foot space called the Pedder Arcade has a distinctly Wong Kar-wai feel, punctuated by broad arches and spinning overhead fans.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
Anesthesia, also likened to piloting: hours of boredom punctuated by moments of terror.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Warmer winters aren’t a fluke, even when punctuated with seasonably appropriate cold.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025
In: the First Family, seated behind the President, and punctuated visually by the six-foot-seven-inch, eighteen-year-old Barron Trump.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2025
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Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
Anesthesia, also likened to piloting: hours of boredom punctuated by moments of terror.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Warmer winters aren’t a fluke, even when punctuated with seasonably appropriate cold.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025
In: the First Family, seated behind the President, and punctuated visually by the six-foot-seven-inch, eighteen-year-old Barron Trump.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for punctuate
Articles Related to punctuate
Dictionary Entries Near punctuate
Cite this Entry
“Punctuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punctuate. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
punctuate
verb
punc·tu·ate
ˈpəŋ(k)-chə-ˌwāt
punctuated; punctuating
1
: to mark or divide with punctuation marks
2
: to interrupt at intervals
a speech punctuated by a harsh cough
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