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
In their interactions, the show really hits its stride in terms of dialogue and pacing, with sharp banter punctuating serious discussions of existential questions.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
The pancakes are one of the menu’s sleeper hits: tender, tangy, with lacy faces and pale, bubbly edges, a circle of salty butter punctuating the top of the stack of three like a bull’s-eye.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
In the video, a man putters up and down the street carrying a pitchfork, shouting at his neighbors and at no one, punctuated by the occasional obscenity.
—Ethan Bauer, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2025
In the Sacramento Valley, rows of olive trees are punctuated not by bare earth but by a thick carpet of green cover crops—vetch, clover, and rye.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
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Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
The pancakes are one of the menu’s sleeper hits: tender, tangy, with lacy faces and pale, bubbly edges, a circle of salty butter punctuating the top of the stack of three like a bull’s-eye.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
In the video, a man putters up and down the street carrying a pitchfork, shouting at his neighbors and at no one, punctuated by the occasional obscenity.
—Ethan Bauer, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2025
In the Sacramento Valley, rows of olive trees are punctuated not by bare earth but by a thick carpet of green cover crops—vetch, clover, and rye.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 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 14 Aug. 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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