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
Before the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte delivered the walk-off blow to the Dodgers — a towering home run off reliever Tanner Scott, punctuated by a bat flip — Roberts had to choose whether to send Shohei Ohtani to the plate as a pinch-hitter.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
Their harsh geometric forms are sometimes punctuated by recognizable symbols like crosses and hearts, while others are made entirely of abstract twisting, circular, and diagonal forms.
—Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026
Memories of enslavement punctuate the stories Edna Lewis recalls from her grandfather and her grandmother.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2026
In the kitchen nook, deep purple JAB linen curtains are punctuated by magenta fringe.
—Allison Duncan, Architectural Digest, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for punctuate
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Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
Their harsh geometric forms are sometimes punctuated by recognizable symbols like crosses and hearts, while others are made entirely of abstract twisting, circular, and diagonal forms.
—Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026
Memories of enslavement punctuate the stories Edna Lewis recalls from her grandfather and her grandmother.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2026
In the kitchen nook, deep purple JAB linen curtains are punctuated by magenta fringe.
—Allison Duncan, Architectural Digest, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for punctuate
Cite this Entry
“Punctuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punctuate. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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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