as in emphasizes
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
punctuated each and every word of his denial with a pound of his fist on the table
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Recent Examples of punctuates
White noise swirls like smoke and Kenyan guest vocalist Lord Spikeheart’s sinister laughter punctuates the murk.
—
Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 25 Mar. 2026
Storrie punctuates the jab with a shot from his finger guns, which brings Johnson crumbling to the ground.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2026
Crisp dialogue punctuates the story as Clark richly shows how people actually talk to each other, from the police colleagues to families in distress.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
The closing scene, in which the four embrace as fireworks go off, punctuates all of this onscreen thinking with external action to match.
—Niela Orr, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The Aces success punctuates how sports have arrived in Vegas, with the Stanley Cup-winning success of the Golden Knights and imminent arrival of Major League Baseball’s Athletics.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 11 Oct. 2025
There’s a tennis court, a wild swimming pool, and a whimsical folly tower that punctuates the landscape like a page from a storybook.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
This trade also punctuates just what a disaster the team’s 2024 draft was.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Sound designer Pietu Korhonen renders Olivia’s solitude palpable using gusts of wind and deafening silences while Utsav Lal’s music punctuates the film’s emotional distress and peace– from the spontaneous chorus of copla mid-bus ride to dance breaks in semi-empty bars.
—Jason Liwag, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 25 Mar. 2026
Storrie punctuates the jab with a shot from his finger guns, which brings Johnson crumbling to the ground.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2026
Crisp dialogue punctuates the story as Clark richly shows how people actually talk to each other, from the police colleagues to families in distress.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
The closing scene, in which the four embrace as fireworks go off, punctuates all of this onscreen thinking with external action to match.
—Niela Orr, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The Aces success punctuates how sports have arrived in Vegas, with the Stanley Cup-winning success of the Golden Knights and imminent arrival of Major League Baseball’s Athletics.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 11 Oct. 2025
There’s a tennis court, a wild swimming pool, and a whimsical folly tower that punctuates the landscape like a page from a storybook.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
This trade also punctuates just what a disaster the team’s 2024 draft was.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Sound designer Pietu Korhonen renders Olivia’s solitude palpable using gusts of wind and deafening silences while Utsav Lal’s music punctuates the film’s emotional distress and peace– from the spontaneous chorus of copla mid-bus ride to dance breaks in semi-empty bars.
—Jason Liwag, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punctuates
Verb
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In a video lesson, psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk emphasizes the importance of compassion when interacting with trauma survivors, highlighting that seemingly negative behaviors may be coping mechanisms for deep emotional pain and urging us to consider their struggles before passing judgment.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Bank of America emphasizes human oversight, transparency, and accountability for AI outcomes across the bank.—
Michael Bush,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The South Florida Sun Sentinel typically highlights restaurant inspections conducted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation in Broward and Palm Beach counties.—
Kari Barnett,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
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In revisiting Lehmann’s story, Strager highlights that Lehmann’s legacy is one of resilience and perseverance—proof that early setbacks do not define a person and that brilliance can flourish, even later in life.—
Carol Sutton Lewis,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Butler stresses the importance of trust and tone.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
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And though the lyrics mix Korean and English, the music repeatedly stresses BTS’s Korean roots.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The MorphoScan is even missing a couple of quality-of-life features present on the Etekcity scale, including a safe mode for pregnant women and pacemaker users that disables the BIA electrical current for weight-only measurements.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
5 Apr. 2026
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The museum’s fourth floor doubles as an event space and features a large terrace that overlooks the bay.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punctuates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctuates. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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