underline

[ verb uhn-der-lahyn, uhn-der-lahyn; noun uhn-der-lahyn ]

/ verb ˈʌn dərˌlaɪn, ˌʌn dərˈlaɪn; noun ˈʌn dərˌlaɪn /

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See synonyms for: underline / underlining on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), un·der·lined, un·der·lin·ing.

to mark with a line or lines underneath; underscore.

to indicate the importance of; emphasize, as by stressing or italicizing.

noun

Printing. a caption under an illustration.

a line drawn under something; an underscore.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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Origin of underline

First recorded in 1715–25; under- + line¹

OTHER WORDS FROM underline

un·der·lin·ing, un·der·lin·e·a·tion

[uhn-der-lin-ee-ey-shuhn], /ˌʌn dərˌlɪn iˈeɪ ʃən/, nounun·der·lin·er, noun

Words nearby underline

underlayer, underlayment, underleaf, underlet, underlie, underline, underlinen, underling, underlit, under lock and key, underlying

How to use underline in a sentence

Because, rather than underline an emotion I have readily available, it reminds me of a world I passed by without noticing.
Boys Don’t Cry: In Praise of Sentiment|Andrew Sean Greer|June 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
To underline the point, Noah Claypole “announced his intention of coming to see him hung.”
What’s in a Name? Writers and Their Anthroponymy|Anthony Paletta|February 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Yet the recent protests underline growing unease with her administration at home.
Liberia: More Political Woes for Nobel Peace Prize-Winner Sirleaf|Clair MacDougall|July 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
“Perhaps more than any other recipient, with Shirley I would underline the word life,” he said.
Shirley MacLaine on ‘Bernie,’ ‘Downton Abbey,’ and Her Lifetime Achievments|Lorenza Muñoz|April 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST

He also came out strongly in favor of stem cell research, again using a personal family story to underline his commitment.
Romney’s Weird Abortion Gamble|Michelle Goldberg|June 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Words marked with a dotted underline are changes made by the transcriber.
Harper's Pictorial Library of the World War, Volume XII|Various
To guard against omission, the traveller should underline the names of the places to be visited before commencing the round.
The South of France--East Half|Charles Bertram Black
The simplest way to mark is to underline the words or to make a stroke alongside the verse.
Pleasure & Profit in Bible Study|Dwight Moody
Therefore I ask you to consider well and deeply the next sentence of this letter—which I will underline.
The Herapath Property|J. S. Fletcher
Words that were determined from context appear with a dotted underline.
An Impartial Narrative of the Most Important Engagements Which Took Place Between His Majesty's Forces and the Rebels, During the Irish Rebellion, 1798.|John Jones

British Dictionary definitions for underline

underline

verb (ˌʌndəˈlaɪn) (tr)

to put a line under

to state forcibly; emphasize or reinforce

noun (ˈʌndəˌlaɪn)

a line underneath, esp under written matter

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

underline

Origin of underline

OTHER WORDS FROM underline

Words nearby underline

Words related to underline

How to use underline in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for underline