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
The former Indianapolis Colts owner didn’t want anyone to miss his message following the Colts’ catastrophic end-of-season collapse that was punctuated by a 26-11 loss to the 3-14 Jaguars.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
And yet, somehow, the nearly two-touchdown-underdog Carolina Panthers surprised one of the best teams in the NFL on Sunday, defeating the Green Bay Packers, 16-13 — thanks to great defense and a final drive that was punctuated by a 49-yard kick from rookie Ryan Fitzgerald as time expired.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, House of the Dragon, and The Pitthave all featured grueling and gory depictions of what those series frame as women’s work, punctuated with founts of blood and soundtracked by screams.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Their online parlance is punctuated by empty enthusiasms, vicious aspersions, and obvious hypocrisies that rarely matter.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punctuate
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James Boyd, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
And yet, somehow, the nearly two-touchdown-underdog Carolina Panthers surprised one of the best teams in the NFL on Sunday, defeating the Green Bay Packers, 16-13 — thanks to great defense and a final drive that was punctuated by a 49-yard kick from rookie Ryan Fitzgerald as time expired.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, House of the Dragon, and The Pitthave all featured grueling and gory depictions of what those series frame as women’s work, punctuated with founts of blood and soundtracked by screams.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Their online parlance is punctuated by empty enthusiasms, vicious aspersions, and obvious hypocrisies that rarely matter.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 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 6 Nov. 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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