underscore

1 of 2

verb

un·​der·​score ˈən-dər-ˌskȯr How to pronounce underscore (audio)
underscored; underscoring; underscores

transitive verb

1
: to draw a line under : underline
2
: to make evident : emphasize, stress
arrived early to underscore the importance of the occasion
3
: to provide (action on film) with accompanying music

underscore

2 of 2

noun

1
: a line drawn under a word or line especially for emphasis or to indicate intent to italicize
2
: music accompanying the action and dialogue of a film

Examples of underscore in a Sentence

Verb These failures underscore the difficulty of what we're attempting to do. The President's visit underscores the administration's commitment to free trade. She underscored the most important points.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The drone attacks underscored Ukraine’s capacity to keep Moscow off-balance and to penetrate deep within Russian territory, despite Russia’s superior manpower and supplies of equipment and ammunition. Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 The assessment underscored the challenge likely in store for the multinational security support mission. Jennifer Hansler, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 These initiatives underscore the league’s dedication to nurturing civic engagement and dialogue within the community. Yan Zhao, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 The glaring disparities in HIV infection rates among Black women underscore the pressing need for targeted interventions and equitable access to healthcare resources. Larada Lee, Essence, 9 Mar. 2024 The heavy losses underscore that Russia’s offensive capabilities are still deficient when trying to overwhelm prepared Ukrainian defenses. Dara Massicot, Foreign Affairs, 8 Mar. 2024 Recommended Compassion Biden’s food drops in Gaza underscore difficulties with Israel The state’s Latter-day Saint pioneers were asylum-seekers of another era, fleeing religious and political persecution in the 1800s at the hands of fellow Americans. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 The blur of numbers, no matter how sliced or diced, underscore where San Diego State is most vulnerable as win-or-go-home games arrive. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Enhanced training protocols for airline staff (and their contractors), coupled with specified actions to safeguard passengers and their wheelchairs during transport, aim to underscore the DOT's commitment to passenger safety and accessibility. Josh Rivera, USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy created the theme song and helmed the composition of the score, underscore and music cues. Caroline Brew, Variety, 31 Jan. 2024 As big company lineups at the American Film Market next week underscore, smart genre, in its multiple variations, remains one of the securest market plays in an uncertain world, backed by an appetite from global streamers. John Hopewell, Variety, 27 Oct. 2023 Meta’s Quest Pro and Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro underscore this shift in direction. IEEE Spectrum, 25 Aug. 2023 The new interim leadership team has clearly been empowered to make changes, as the programming overhaul underscores. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2023 Howe also collaborated closely with songwriter-producer Blake Mills on string arrangements for some of the songs, and occasionally interpolated the tunes into his underscore. Jon Burlingame, Variety, 2 June 2023 The mere fact that Allred is possibly his party’s top Senate challenger for 2024 underscores just how challenging the Senate map looks for Democrats next year. Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 4 May 2023 But the exodus of so many married couples-to-be underscores that the precipitous decline isn’t a temporary slump that will easily reverse course if the retailer is able to replenish its stocks of merchandise. Jeannette Neumann, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2023 But the accounts of the displaced underscore how unconventional this war actually is. Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'underscore.' 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

1771, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of underscore was in 1771

Dictionary Entries Near underscore

Cite this Entry

“Underscore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underscore. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

underscore

verb
un·​der·​score
ˈən-dər-ˌskō(ə)r,
-ˌskȯ(ə)r
1
: to draw a line under : underline
2
underscore noun

More from Merriam-Webster on underscore

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