underline

1 of 2

verb

underlined; underlining; underlines

transitive verb

1
: to mark (something, such as a word) with a line underneath
2
: to put emphasis on : stress
3
: to show clearly or emphatically

underline

2 of 2

noun

un·​der·​line ˈən-dər-ˌlīn How to pronounce underline (audio)
1
: the outline of a quadruped's underbody
also : the ventral surface of a quadruped's body
2
: a horizontal line placed underneath something

Examples of underline in a Sentence

Verb His name was underlined in the book. The accident underlines our need for better safety procedures.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The strike’s proximity to Mitsotakis, who is the leader of a NATO member state, also underlines the potential global repercussions of the conflict. Aj Willingham, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 With her new novel, Waldman underlines their efforts with thick strokes. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2024 Profit participation in book publishing has mostly been done by indie or smaller players, and the launch of Authors Equity underlines how the model is being adopted by bigger publishing players serving best-selling authors. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Mar. 2024 Inter Miami underlined its status as MLS favorites with a 5-0 home spank of rival Orlando City Saturday on two goals apiece from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, leaving the Herons unbeaten (two wins, one draw) in three games. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024 Still, Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster underlines just how unforgiving the era could be–a time when guides were often only available through rare magazine walkthroughs or via premium-rate phone lines. Matt Gardner, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Violence in the West Bank has soared since the war in Gaza began, underlining the broader challenges of stability and governance across the occupied territories. Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 The fact that Liverpool still won 4-1 underlines the quality and depth in a squad that Klopp will soon be handing over. Steve Douglas, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 But through its years-spanning depiction of both the mortal danger and mental strain of living under occupation, the film underlines that the situation has been at crisis point for a long time, whether or not it’s been grabbing international headlines. Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
That award signified their gradual re-embrace by a local industry that had once spurned them, toward an uncontested master status that this bright, doting documentary underlines. Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024 Two events from the past week underline this point, which has been argued by legal scholars on all sides of the ideological spectrum since the 1930s until the present day. Peter Vanham, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2024 All the while, Feresten continues to mark up the cue cards with a Sharpie — crossing out a word here, adding a red underline for emphasis there — before handing it to a young assistant over his right shoulder. Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023 And there are so many examples that are similar that underline the practical relevance. Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 31 May 2023 The piece of paper, Peter…are you team underline, or team cross-out? Gosh. Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2023 The ambiguity of the underline/strikethrough is almost certainly just a mistake by an old man in poor health who rarely had cause to write anything. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2023 All hell starts breaking loose before the one-hour point, and at first these goings-on further underline the sense of homage to Williams Friedkin and Blatty’s horror classic. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023 Wang’s remarks on Monday underline Beijing’s hardening tone to an incident that has derailed months of efforts to repair worsening U.S.-China ties. Lily Kuo, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'underline.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of underline was in 1721

Dictionary Entries Near underline

Cite this Entry

“Underline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underline. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

underline

verb
un·​der·​line
ˈən-dər-ˌlīn,
ˌən-dər-ˈlīn
1
: to draw a line under : underscore
2
underline
ˈən-dər-ˌlīn
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on underline

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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