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 / underlined / 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

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Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

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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

If you’re like me, when you’re finished reading a book it’s often filled with underlines, scribblings, circled portions and highlighted phrases.
The Old World (of Textbooks) Is Dying, and the New World (of Textbooks) Hasn’t Arrived|Jakob McWhinney|August 11, 2022|Voice of San Diego
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