punctuate

verb

ˈpəŋk-chə-ˌwāt How to pronounce punctuate (audio)
Definition of punctuatenext
as in to emphasize
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of punctuate Roughly every 76 years, Halley punctuates history like an exclamation mark in the night sky. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Ohtani punctuated the series by swatting three solo homers and striking out 10 over six shutout innings in Game 4. — ABC News, 10 Oct. 2026 At Roberto Cavalli, makeup artist Yadim had the same inclination for highly pigmented metallic shades, a choice that punctuated key looks also at Jil Sander. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 The tragedy punctuated what was supposed to be Valdes’ 28th birthday celebration. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for punctuate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punctuate
  1. emphasize
  2. highlight
  3. stress
  4. feature
Verb
  • Both local governments filed their briefs to the Supreme Court this week, emphasizing their arguments that the bans are lawful because the AR-15 and similar weapons are not ordinary firearms.
    — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Officials emphasized that machines are tested before each election and that in most jurisdictions, there is a postelection audit that consists of a manual hand count of a sample of paper ballots.
    — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of emphasize
Verb
  • Despite his history with Holmes, Carreyrou said the film ultimately helped highlight some of Holmes’ contradictions.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • While other members of the Biden administration have defended Becerra’s performance, his time at the helm highlighted an issue that even allies concede has bedeviled Becerra in the past, his tendency to sometimes recede into the background.
    — Ben Wieder, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of highlight
Verb
  • And even for those who are just ordinarily stressed, being around horses can be calming and restorative — part of a somatic healing approach, which focuses on how the body holds on to emotions.
    — Ondine Cohane, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • And not to stress anybody out further, but high cortisol suppresses your immune system and increases inflammation, both of which lead to things like quicker aging and poor long-term health outcomes.
    — Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of stress
Verb
  • Ramaswamy’s campaign released a video featuring Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, who tells viewers not to vote for her daughter.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The Six Kings Slam tennis tournament—which was set to feature Grand Slam champions Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev—has also been postponed.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of feature

Browse Nearby Words

punctually
punctuate
punctuated
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Cite this Entry

“Punctuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctuate. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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