as in emphasizes
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
punctuated each and every word of his denial with a pound of his fist on the table
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Recent Examples of punctuates
Guest guitarist Tom Morello punctuates the sound on stage in a style uniquely his own, his pedal board a force to be reckoned with and his famously political approach to music a distinctly on-brand fit for the tour.
—
Brandon Shaw, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 2026
Afterward, stroll River Street, where retail therapy punctuates a perfect day.
—Judith Garrison, AJC.com, 30 Apr. 2026
In the hands of the six-piece band, the shivering chords of that miniature apocalyptic soul song build into a cathartic climax, which Wasner punctuates with weeping slide guitar.
—Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
Storrie punctuates the jab with a shot from his finger guns, which brings Johnson crumbling to the ground.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2026
Crisp dialogue punctuates the story as Clark richly shows how people actually talk to each other, from the police colleagues to families in distress.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
The closing scene, in which the four embrace as fireworks go off, punctuates all of this onscreen thinking with external action to match.
—Niela Orr, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Their jawboning punctuates the stillnesses in the forest.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Nov. 2025
The Aces success punctuates how sports have arrived in Vegas, with the Stanley Cup-winning success of the Golden Knights and imminent arrival of Major League Baseball’s Athletics.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Brandon Shaw, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 2026
Afterward, stroll River Street, where retail therapy punctuates a perfect day.
—Judith Garrison, AJC.com, 30 Apr. 2026
In the hands of the six-piece band, the shivering chords of that miniature apocalyptic soul song build into a cathartic climax, which Wasner punctuates with weeping slide guitar.
—Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
Storrie punctuates the jab with a shot from his finger guns, which brings Johnson crumbling to the ground.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2026
Crisp dialogue punctuates the story as Clark richly shows how people actually talk to each other, from the police colleagues to families in distress.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
The closing scene, in which the four embrace as fireworks go off, punctuates all of this onscreen thinking with external action to match.
—Niela Orr, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Their jawboning punctuates the stillnesses in the forest.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Nov. 2025
The Aces success punctuates how sports have arrived in Vegas, with the Stanley Cup-winning success of the Golden Knights and imminent arrival of Major League Baseball’s Athletics.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punctuates
Verb
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Despite us having just seen the episode where Reid performed this exact song, his vocals felt like they were shot out of a cannon — Reid has an unexpected control and expressiveness to his live singing voice that emphasizes the already theatrical lyrics and melody.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
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Lifting extremely heavy weights with limited range of motion, as observers have noted in Kennedy’s video, increases the risk of injury and emphasizes numbers rather than strength.—
Paula Chesley,
STAT,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The movie’s first scene, in which the band plays a wedding at a lavish country estate, highlights his problem.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
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Prior Tesla Autopilot case highlights legal scrutiny The Florida crash comes as Tesla continues to face legal scrutiny over its Autopilot system.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Magnifica Humanitas stresses the importance of decent jobs to a healthy society, and workers’ demands can help identify what the future of work should look like.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
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Ochman stresses that tools like Claude aren't going to replace people anytime soon, if at all, particularly for small businesses.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Breakfast features a Middle Eastern spread that goes beyond the traditional selections.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
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Disney’s bet on sports and streaming amplified last August when the company launched the ESPN direct-to-consumer streaming app, which features all of the content from its TV network as well as exclusive programming.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punctuates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctuates. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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