punctuate

verb

punc·​tu·​ate ˈpəŋk-chə-ˌwāt 

punctuated; punctuating

transitive verb

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

3

: accentuate, emphasize

intransitive verb

: to use punctuation marks

punctuator

ˈpəŋk-chə-ˌwā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• accent
• accentuate
• emphasize
• feature
• foreground
• highlight
• illuminate
• play up
• point (up)
• press
• stress

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

Echo Canyon Loop: This route uses the Echo Canyon, Hailstone and Ed Riggs trails for a moderate 3.3-mile journey through spectacular rock formations into a lush cove punctuated by a stuttering little stream that flows seasonally. —Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024

Having been largely flattened by the Luftwaffe during World War II, Bodø’s rationalist post-war rebuild is visible in the boxy buildings that line the shores and a skyline punctuated by the angular 1950s cathedral. —Ben Olsen, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2024

New York City politicians are pushing for revised laws after a crew of squatters punctuated a months-long terror campaign against their neighbors by burning a house to the ground last November. —Christina Coulter, Fox News, 5 Apr. 2024

It was also punctuated by a public falling out with the team. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Mar. 2024

Everyone there was pro-Putin and pro-war, with musical artists punctuating more serious exchanges throughout the day. —Keir Simmons, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024

On this barren landscape roughly the size of Switzerland, there are no roads or human settlements—just an endless expanse of shimmering white, occasionally punctuated by an ancient baobab tree. —Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024

Stevenson has designed a kind of Passion Walk, a circular path through the woods, punctuated by art, artifact, and text. —Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

Standing before the seven member Cannabis Control Board, hoops and hollers, tears punctuated the meeting. —Wesley Parnell, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin punctuatus, past participle of punctuare to point, provide with punctuation marks, from Latin punctus point

First Known Use

circa 1766, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids 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