punctuate
verb
punc·tu·ate
ˈpəŋk-chə-ˌwāt 
punctuated; punctuating
1
: to mark or divide (written matter) with punctuation marks
2
: to break into or interrupt at intervals
the steady click of her needles punctuated the silence—
Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton3
: to use punctuation marks
Examples of punctuate in a Sentence
Do you know how to punctuate a sentence correctly?
punctuated each and every word of his denial with a pound of his fist on the table
Recent Examples on the Web
New York just put together its best full month of the season, an 18-7 September heater punctuated with its ongoing eight-game winning streak.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
With the return of Worthy, whose tremendous rookie year was punctuated with his eight-catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the otherwise abominable Super Bowl loss to the Eagles, everything else was both more in its place and expanded through his presence.
—Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
But the noises punctuating the downtown Fort Worth soundscape these days are causing consternation for De La Torre and his neighbors.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
Azoulay updated Compton, a maximalist swirl of florals, with a midnight black backdrop, while Pierce & Ward scaled down the same pattern and punctuated its inky lines with a soft oatmeal ground to create Compton Parvum.
—Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2025
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Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
With the return of Worthy, whose tremendous rookie year was punctuated with his eight-catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the otherwise abominable Super Bowl loss to the Eagles, everything else was both more in its place and expanded through his presence.
—Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
But the noises punctuating the downtown Fort Worth soundscape these days are causing consternation for De La Torre and his neighbors.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
Azoulay updated Compton, a maximalist swirl of florals, with a midnight black backdrop, while Pierce & Ward scaled down the same pattern and punctuated its inky lines with a soft oatmeal ground to create Compton Parvum.
—Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punctuate
Cite this Entry
“Punctuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punctuate. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
punctuate
verb
punc·tu·ate
ˈpəŋ(k)-chə-ˌwāt
punctuated; punctuating
1
: to mark or divide with punctuation marks
2
: to interrupt at intervals
a speech punctuated by a harsh cough
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