as in to emphasize
to make more apparent
a history of the Old West that underscores the role that pioneer women had in bringing order and stability to the wild frontier
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Recent Examples of underscore
All of this underscores how vulnerable our food system remains and why investments in biosecurity and disease preparedness are more important than ever.
—
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
Instead, ’90s country plays softly over the room’s speaker system, the relative quiet underscoring a palpable air of seriousness.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Harms of solitary confinement Multiple studies and North Carolina’s own experiences underscore the need to reduce the use of solitary confinement in the state, experts in behavioral health and corrections say.
—Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2025
The name refers to the black widow spider, whose female is known for killing the male after mating — a metaphor that underscores the cold and calculated betrayal at the heart of the case.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for underscore
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
Instead, ’90s country plays softly over the room’s speaker system, the relative quiet underscoring a palpable air of seriousness.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Harms of solitary confinement Multiple studies and North Carolina’s own experiences underscore the need to reduce the use of solitary confinement in the state, experts in behavioral health and corrections say.
—Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2025
The name refers to the black widow spider, whose female is known for killing the male after mating — a metaphor that underscores the cold and calculated betrayal at the heart of the case.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for underscore
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underscore
Verb
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Despite the optics, Kang has emphasized to fans and players that the Spirit was her first investment in sports, which carries weight.—
Emily Olsen,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
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The author emphasizes Milk’s service as a Korean War veteran and his legacy as a civil rights pioneer who faced discrimination both in the military and as an openly gay elected official[1][4].—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
Verb
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As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2025
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The company’s shares have risen more than 7% this week as Meta’s deal to buy nuclear power from Constellation Energy has reinforced the view that demand is increasing as the tech sector hunts for electricity for its data centers.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underscore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underscore. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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