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.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use underline in a sentence

That message was underlined this weekend as well when the United States began sending arms directly to Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
Exclusive: Inside Obama's Push for Regime Change in Iraq|Eli Lake|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Chicago, the Alliance underlined the importance of holding free and fair Parliamentary and Presidential Elections in Georgia.
Obama Tells Georgia to Forget About NATO After Encouraging It to Join|Will Cathcart|March 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nadya also underlined that Katya had never told them about this reason for changing the lawyers.
How the Pussy Riot Girls Trial Fell Apart|Alisa Obraztsova|May 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In fact, it was this very vagueness that underlined the success.
Obama’s Successes in Israel|Brent E. Sasley|March 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST

And then all this gets underlined and italicized by a portentously romantic score.
Is Lindsay Lohan a Work Of Art?|Blake Gopnik|June 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He attached great importance to my direct evidence, and we underlined the parts I was to be particularly strong upon.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
Her long lashes brushed her cheek; she drew a kind of isolation from the way her manner underlined the office.
Hilda|Sarah Jeanette Duncan
Additional features will appear if you hover or click (changed sections only) on the underlined text.
Samuel Richardson's Introduction to Pamela|Samuel Richardson
The diary he gave back to Anna; but, unobserved by her, he cut out the page on which were the words underlined.
Dream Tales and Prose Poems|Ivan Turgenev
External links are underlined like this; support for them depends on the device and program used to display this eBook.
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3|Plotinos (Plotinus)

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 related to underline

How to use underline in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for underline