underline

verb un·der·line \ ˈən-dər-ˌlīn , ˌən-dər-ˈlīn \

Updated on: 27 Feb 2018

Definition of underline

transitive verb

1 : to mark (something, such as a word) with a line underneath

2 : to put emphasis on : stress

3 : to show clearly or emphatically

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See underline defined for kids

Examples of underline in a Sentence

His name was underlined in the book.
The accident underlines our need for better safety procedures.

Recent Examples of underline from the Web

An incident in early September underlined that Thomas had reached that point.

— crocker stephenson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Surgery enabled the first American to survive birth without a trachea to breathe. Now he can eat.," 16 Oct. 2017
Fellaini has underlined his importance to the current Premier League leaders' cause in recent weeks, and bagged his first ever brace for United in last Saturday's 4-0 drubbing of Crystal Palace on home soil.

— SI.com, "Marouane Fellaini Set for Man Utd Stay as Midfielder 'Agrees' New Long-Term Deal," 4 Oct. 2017
Chrome outlined the lower grille, underlined the upper grille (grilles have active upper and lower aero shutters; close at high speeds for aerodynamics, re-open at lower speeds to cool engine) and trimmed the horizontal bars of both grilles.

— emma jayne williams, star-telegram, "Chevrolet’s Traverse big crossover gets a complete makeover for 2018," 30 Sep. 2017
Neighboring Turkey is holding Army border exercises to underline its concerns Iraqi Kurdish separatism could feed insurrection on its soil.

— raya jalabi, The Christian Science Monitor, "Kurds head to the polls Monday for independence vote," 22 Sep. 2017
That percentage underlines Oscar’s tendency to reward women of color for playing characters whose role is to literally support or bolster someone else, be they maids or slaves.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Why Viola Davis’s Oscar Win Is Both Triumphant and Bittersweet," 26 Feb. 2017
StudioCanal's cuddly, marmalade-loving Peruvian bear has underlined his box-office power.

— alex ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, "Box Office: 'Paddington 2' Scores Biggest U.K. Opening for StudioCanal," 13 Nov. 2017
Given Mbappe's rapid rise as the new poster boy of football, Ronaldo's opinion as to whether Real should sign him would certainly be negative, and would once again underline his desire to be the main main in Spain's capital.

— SI.com, "Report Claims Ronaldo 'Vetoed' Real Swoops for Star Quintet Including Mbappe & Ibrahimovic," 10 Oct. 2017
Blade Runner's’ saga is, as the best Hollywood stories invariably are, a microcosm for the industry, starkly underlining how irredeemably deep the classic split between aesthetics and commerce is and also how painfully inevitable.

— mark olsen, latimes.com, "Indie Focus: Unexplored worlds with 'The Florida Project,' 'Blade Runner 2049' and 'Brawl in Cell Block 99'," 8 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'underline.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of underline

1721

underline Synonyms

underline

noun un·der·line \ ˈən-dər-ˌlīn \

Definition of underline

1 : the outline of a quadruped's underbody; also : the ventral surface of a quadruped's body

2 : a horizontal line placed underneath something

Recent Examples of underline from the Web

The taillamps remain in the same location but have been restyled to feature a slim, lighted underline.

— tony markovich, Car and Driver, "2019 Jeep Cherokee: The Baby Grand," 17 Jan. 2018
And so a quote from the paper, rules tend to use formulas or equations for the policy instrument at least as a guide – and those underlines are mine, not John’s – when making decisions.

— WSJ, "Transcript: John Taylor Presentation and Q&A at Boston Fed," 15 Oct. 2017
This video below underlines just how far he's come.

— gregory krieg, CNN, "Jeff Sessions is doing what President Trump can't," 6 Sep. 2017
There is no question — underline no question — that the Russian government interfered in the U.S. election last year, and Moscow continues to meddle in the Democratic processes of our friends and allies.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Why conservatives loved Trump’s U.N. speech so much," 20 Sep. 2017