as in emphasis
a special notice or importance given to something
the underscoring we've given the play's local setting will hopefully increase ticket sales
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in emphasizing
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of underscoring
Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
But from the opening moments, set in the cozy cabinet of curiosities shop — cue orchestrator/arranger Matt Brind’s mysterious and twinkling Danny Elfman-esque underscoring — there’s real precision to Luke Sheppard’s production.
—David Benedict, Variety, 30 Nov. 2025
Marlon González, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
According to a CyberMedia Research survey, 89% of smartphone buyers consider camera performance a top factor when choosing their next device, underscoring how central photography has become to modern smartphone use.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 12 May 2026
At the Marché, the Taiwan Pavilion marks genre as a central export driver, underscoring sustained demand from regional buyers for commercial storytelling.
—Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 12 May 2026
Huang has visited China multiple times in the last 18 months, including a high-profile trip last summer, underscoring Nvidia’s efforts to maintain ties in a market that once accounted for at least a fifth of its data center revenue.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 12 May 2026
Meanwhile, small-scale clashes continued around the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States.
—James Laporta, CBS News, 11 May 2026
An overarching issue was the punishing cost of living in California and how it might be eased, underscoring deep partisan divides.
—ABC News, 5 May 2026
Microsoft shares dropped 4% and Amazon shares gained less than 1% Thursday after the companies reported earnings Wednesday, underscoring that investors are becoming less patient about spending that doesn’t bring immediate returns.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
German automaker sentiment slumped in April as a shortage of critical inputs such as helium began to bite, underscoring how disruption triggered by the Middle East conflict is reverberating through Europe’s supply chains.
—William Wilkes, Bloomberg, 4 May 2026
Noun
Sound designer Hunter Moody provides delicate underscoring setting appropriate to moods as needed.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
But from the opening moments, set in the cozy cabinet of curiosities shop — cue orchestrator/arranger Matt Brind’s mysterious and twinkling Danny Elfman-esque underscoring — there’s real precision to Luke Sheppard’s production.
—David Benedict, Variety, 30 Nov. 2025
Verb
López’s killing drew international outrage from the Biden administration, Pope Francis and the United Nations, underscoring the deadly risks faced by environmental defenders in Latin America, where 82% of activist murders occurred in 2024.
—Marlon González, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
According to a CyberMedia Research survey, 89% of smartphone buyers consider camera performance a top factor when choosing their next device, underscoring how central photography has become to modern smartphone use.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 12 May 2026
At the Marché, the Taiwan Pavilion marks genre as a central export driver, underscoring sustained demand from regional buyers for commercial storytelling.
—Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 12 May 2026
Huang has visited China multiple times in the last 18 months, including a high-profile trip last summer, underscoring Nvidia’s efforts to maintain ties in a market that once accounted for at least a fifth of its data center revenue.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 12 May 2026
Meanwhile, small-scale clashes continued around the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States.
—James Laporta, CBS News, 11 May 2026
An overarching issue was the punishing cost of living in California and how it might be eased, underscoring deep partisan divides.
—ABC News, 5 May 2026
Microsoft shares dropped 4% and Amazon shares gained less than 1% Thursday after the companies reported earnings Wednesday, underscoring that investors are becoming less patient about spending that doesn’t bring immediate returns.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
German automaker sentiment slumped in April as a shortage of critical inputs such as helium began to bite, underscoring how disruption triggered by the Middle East conflict is reverberating through Europe’s supply chains.
—William Wilkes, Bloomberg, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underscoring
Noun
-
McCarthy’s emphasis on 11 personnel (three wide receivers) better fits Rodgers’s skill set and his preferences.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
What distinguishes Mannering’s approach is an emphasis on continuity and curation.—
Rachel Ingram,
Robb Report,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Arisco says that making Maxine American is another way the play is more contemporary, emphasizing a connection between the United States and England.—
Amy Reyes
May 14,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
-
Weiner compared it to other iconic wedding in history like Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding, emphasizing the importance of capturing the romance and secrecy of the ceremony.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Verb
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In addiction treatment, encouraging emotional attachment to an algorithm risks reinforcing the very patterns of avoidance and substitution that sustain addiction.—
Steve D. Klein,
STAT,
14 May 2026
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Measures seen as defensive in Tokyo or Manila are invariably interpreted in Beijing as offensive—reinforcing, rather than easing, cycles of suspicion.—
Yu Jie,
Time,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underscoring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underscoring. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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