high·light | \ ˈhī-ˌlīt 
\
\ plural highlights
Definition of highlight
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : something (such as an event or detail) that is of major significance or special interest
Visiting the Alps was a highlight of their trip to Europe.
b : a summary of the most significant or interesting parts of something (such as a completed sporting event) presented typically on a television broadcast
— usually pluralwatched highlights of the night's games
2 : a spot or area that is lighter than surrounding spots or areas: such as
a : the lightest part or one of the lightest parts of a painting, drawing, etc. especially : one that depicts the areas of the subject receiving the greatest amount of illumination added highlights to the painting used white pencil for the highlights and charcoal for the shadows
b : a lighter area of the hair specifically : such an area created artificially (as through the application of chemical substances) — usually plural brown hair with blond highlights
highlight
verbhighlighted; highlighting
Definition of highlight (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : to throw a strong light on
highlighting featured merchandise on the shelves
b : to constitute a significant or especially interesting part of : to constitute a highlight of
His trip to Europe was highlighted by a visit to Vatican City.
3a : to mark (text) with a highlighter
b : to cause (something, such as text or an icon) to be displayed in a way that stands out on an electronic screen (as of a computer or smartphone) highlighted the sentence and deleted it
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Synonyms & Antonyms for highlight
Synonyms: Verb
- accent,
- accentuate,
- emphasize,
- feature,
- foreground,
- illuminate,
- play up,
- point (up),
- press,
- punctuate,
- stress
Antonyms: Verb
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Examples of highlight in a Sentence
Noun
I missed the game, but I saw the highlights on the evening news. Verb
Unfortunately, the media insisted upon highlighting his troubled past.
Our trip was highlighted by a great jazz concert we attended.
The students highlighted important vocabulary words in their textbooks.
Important names and dates in each chapter are highlighted.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The true highlight for us was the 120Hz display, which made the experience buttery smooth.
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Michael Andronico, CNN Underscored, "These are the best smartphones of 2020," 31 Dec. 2020 Jackson impresses Jackson has been a highlight for the Pistons early in the season.
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Omari Sankofa Ii, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Pistons see encouraging signs in 128-120 road loss to Atlanta Hawks," 29 Dec. 2020 All the joy of getting a gift package in the mail followed by the happiness contained in the box might be the highlight of the month for someone sheltering at home.
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Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, "Stumped on what to get this season? These subscriptions gifts offer perfect fix," 22 Dec. 2020 When Texas A&M has the ball While the Aggies struggled to get much going on offense last weekend, a highlight for the team was sophomore running back Isaiah Spiller.
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Hannah Underwood, Dallas News, "Texas A&M prediction: Will the No. 5 Aggies snap their three-year losing streak to Auburn?," 3 Dec. 2020 Writing these newsletters and the interactions with you readers quickly became a highlight for me.
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Tania Ganguli Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Newsletter: A newsletter farewell from our departing reporter," 1 Dec. 2020 Bridgewater burned an early zone blitz on a third-and-11 play for the 41-yard touchdown to Anderson, however that was the main highlight for Carolina.
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Andrew Krammer, Star Tribune, "Film review: How Vikings' work-in-progress pass defense made Teddy Bridgewater hesitate," 1 Dec. 2020 The throw would pretty much be the highlight of the night for Franks, who finished 15-of-19 passing for 250 yards and two scores.
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Edgar Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, "Gators rout Arkansas during Feleipe Franks' return to Swamp," 14 Nov. 2020 Some unexpected togetherness and fun has been the highlight for many in the Cardinal Forest neighborhood this fall.
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Christina Hyder, baltimoresun.com, "Coronavirus pandemic aside, Halloween spirit unites neighbors | North Laurel/Savage," 4 Nov. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The sobering figures highlight just how dire the situation is in the United States, particularly after a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus emerged in several states.
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NBC News, "Covid live updates: Latest on vaccine distribution and rising U.S. Covid cases," 6 Jan. 2021 These and other data comparisons highlight the differences among the state’s most populated counties and metro areas, especially between the northern and southern parts of the state.
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Kellie Hwang, SFChronicle.com, "These charts compare the COVID surge in Southern California vs. the Bay Area," 31 Dec. 2020 The numbers highlight how Covid-19 has spawned other public health emergencies, as the social effects and officials’ failures to grapple with the pandemic bleed into every part of American life.
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Aarian Marshall, Wired, "The Year of Driving Less—but More Dangerously," 24 Dec. 2020 The sudden travel and export bans between the U.K. and the EU highlight the consequences of a potential no-deal Brexit looming at the end of the month.
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Tyler Van Dyke, Washington Examiner, "Boris Johnson holds crisis meeting as UK coronavirus variant leads to travel bans and plunging stocks," 21 Dec. 2020 All-Star hitters Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil highlight a promising core.
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Mike Fitzpatrick, courant.com, "Mets’ new GM excited by Cohen’s title expectations," 14 Dec. 2020 Other cases highlight the tribe’s history and prominent members along with historical tools and artifacts of traditional games.
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San Diego Union-Tribune, "Pandemic helps give rise to Pala’s Asian Gaming Room," 13 Dec. 2020 Sharyn Jackson and Rick Nelson highlight the favorites of their weekly dining experiences.
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Sharyn Jackson, Star Tribune, "5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities this week," 11 Dec. 2020 The discrepancies between the different data sources highlight the challenges in accurately tracking the number of deaths from the coronavirus.
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Ella Lee, USA TODAY, "Fact check: US COVID-19 deaths from Dec. 1-5 rival the toll from the Pearl Harbor attack," 10 Dec. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'highlight.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for highlight
highlight
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of highlight
(Entry 1 of 2)
: something (such as an event or a detail) that is very interesting, exciting, or important : the best part of something
: a light spot or area
highlight
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of highlight (Entry 2 of 2)
: to make or try to make people notice or be aware of (someone or something) : to direct attention to (someone or something)
: to be a very interesting, exciting, or important part of (something)
: to mark (something, such as text) with a bright color
See the full definition for highlight in the English Language Learners Dictionary
highlight
nounhigh·light | \ ˈhī-ˌlīt \
\Kids Definition of highlight
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a very interesting event or detail
He mentioned the highlights of his trip.
highlight
verbhighlighted; highlighting
Kids Definition of highlight (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : emphasize The speech highlighted the problems we face.
2 : to be an interesting event or detail
Dinner highlighted the evening.
3 : to mark with a highlighter
Highlight your spelling words.
4 : to cause (something on a computer screen) to be displayed in a way that stands out
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Comments on highlight
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Time Traveler for highlight
The first known use of highlight was in 1658
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