Synonyms of emphasize

emphasize

verb

ˈem(p)-fə-ˌsīz 

1

as in to highlight

to indicate the importance of by centering attention on

supermarket tabloids that emphasize sensational news stories

Synonyms & Similar Words

• highlight
• feature
• stress
• punctuate
• identify
• accentuate
• point (up)
• accent
• focus
• illuminate
• promote
• foreground
• play up
• bear down on
• press
• make much of
• pinpoint
• advertise
• publicize
• spotlight
• boost
• plug
• overplay

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tone (down)
• play down
• understate
• minimize
• de-emphasize
• underemphasize
• disparage
• belittle
• discount

2

as in to reinforce

to make more apparent

that huge belt buckle only emphasizes his big gut

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reinforce
• underscore
• enhance
• underline
• deepen
• accentuate
• stress
• strengthen
• bring out
• maximize
• amplify
• italicize
• augment
• supplement
• heighten
• enlarge
• magnify
• boost
• enliven
• beef (up)
• jazz (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• de-emphasize
• reduce
• minimize
• decrease
• tone (down)
• diminish
• understate
• lessen
• weaken
• subdue

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of emphasize

DeepFabric launched its platform in July, emphasizing that it is purposefully built for the supply chain. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 7 Aug. 2026

Nothing is overly emphasized, but viewers who know the visual language of the show will recognize the repetition, like the second half of a rhyming couplet that completes this section of the story. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026

However, the article emphasizes socialism's historical failures, citing the collapse of the Soviet Union and Venezuela's severe economic devastation under socialist policies. — Mike Patton, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Jazz The Jazz Generations Initiative is an organization set on bridging generational and disciplinary divides by emphasizing the ways in which jazz is informed by its in-person community. — Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026