exclamation point

noun

1
: a mark ! used especially after an interjection or exclamation to indicate forceful utterance or strong feeling
2
: a distinctive indication of major significance, interest, or contrast
Their victory in the final game put an exclamation point on the season.

called also exclamation mark

Examples of exclamation point in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The fever dream continued with Howard wailing on guitar and vocals, the production morphing into a beautiful stew of blues rock and given an exclamation point – and a standing ovation – with Copeland spinning out of the shadows. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026 Caleb Fay punched home one exclamation point. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2026 Poor Bella’s horribly adverse reaction to the virus makes for a great jump scare in the moment and also an exclamation point on the season overall, emphasizing that no one really understands how this virus works. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026 Rye whiskey is the drier and spicier cousin of bourbon with an herbaceous edge, an edge which (as with the Sazerac, La Louisiane and others) is given a few dozen exclamation points with a dash of absinthe. Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exclamation point

Word History

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exclamation point was in 1795

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exclamation point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exclamation%20point. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

exclamation point

noun
: a punctuation mark ! used chiefly after an exclamation to show a forceful way of speaking or a strong feeling

More from Merriam-Webster on exclamation point

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster