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
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
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
There’s a tennis court, a wild swimming pool, and a whimsical folly tower that punctuates the landscape like a page from a storybook.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2025
This trade also punctuates just what a disaster the team’s 2024 draft was.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Sound designer Pietu Korhonen renders Olivia’s solitude palpable using gusts of wind and deafening silences while Utsav Lal’s music punctuates the film’s emotional distress and peace– from the spontaneous chorus of copla mid-bus ride to dance breaks in semi-empty bars.
—Jason Liwag, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
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
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
There’s a tennis court, a wild swimming pool, and a whimsical folly tower that punctuates the landscape like a page from a storybook.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2025
This trade also punctuates just what a disaster the team’s 2024 draft was.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Sound designer Pietu Korhonen renders Olivia’s solitude palpable using gusts of wind and deafening silences while Utsav Lal’s music punctuates the film’s emotional distress and peace– from the spontaneous chorus of copla mid-bus ride to dance breaks in semi-empty bars.
—Jason Liwag, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punctuates
Verb
-
Gimble, a former Texas State Guard member and McLennan County district clerk who currently serves on the Texas Judicial Council, ran on a platform that emphasizes border security and Second Amendment rights, according to his campaign website.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2026
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With precarious Uranus in your sign and Venus in your 11th House of Associations, their sextile emphasizes the way identity shifts affect your allies.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The work highlights a new design approach that could help advance the electrification of industrial heat.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
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Experts say the incident highlights the reason that a declaration of war by Congress is needed for the growing conflict, which has involved more than 12 countries, as Iran continues launching drones and missiles at countries beyond the Persian Gulf region.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Erin stresses the necessity of experiencing the mountains on their own terms, while Benji is adamant that the Alps have far more on tap than big, steep lines.—
Sergei Poljak,
Outside,
7 Mar. 2026
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Heat also stresses the plant and can cause bolting.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The small villa, ideal for a duo, features a living room-balcony hybrid where trailing greenery frames views of the water.—
Angela Tafoya,
Vogue,
9 Mar. 2026
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The retailer’s sale & clearance section features open-box deals on items that have been purchased, opened, and then returned.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punctuates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctuates. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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