underscore
Americanverb (used with object)
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underscores,
present (3rd person singular)
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underscored,
past participle, past
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underscoring
present participle
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to mark with a line or lines underneath; underline, as for emphasis.
-
to stress; emphasize.
The recent tragedy underscores the danger of disregarding safety rules.
noun
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underscores
plural
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a line drawn beneath something written or printed.
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music for a film soundtrack; background for a film or stage production.
verb
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to draw or score a line or mark under
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to stress or reinforce
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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underscoresimple
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underscoressimple
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have underscoredperfect
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has underscoredperfect
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am underscoringprogressive
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are underscoringprogressive
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is underscoringprogressive
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have been underscoringperfect progressive
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has been underscoringperfect progressive
Past
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underscoredsimple
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had underscoredperfect
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was underscoringprogressive
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were underscoringprogressive
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had been underscoringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of underscore
Explanation
To underscore is to draw special attention to a fact, idea, or situation. When you're involved in a debate, it’s wise to underscore the points that best support your argument. Literally, underscore means “to underline,” or draw a line beneath a word to emphasize it. In common speech, to underscore something is to call attention to it. If a worker sustained an injury on the job, for instance, the event would underscore the need for workplace safety. Underscore is also used to mean "emphasize." During a job interview, you want to underscore any experience that relates to the job you are applying for.
Vocabulary lists containing underscore
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
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The ACT: The Language of the Test, List 2
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Copyright laws also underscore the premium we place on originality by granting creators – and even their heirs – long periods of exclusive rights for books, music and other artistic works.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
"They underscore why it is so important to move beyond treating Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders as a single population."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
Researchers said their findings underscore the importance of clearly communicating with the public when developing and implementing healthcare reforms.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
The comments underscore AMD’s fierce competition in the space, with Oppenheimer analysts writing in a note that the company may continue playing catch-up with Nvidia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Every now and then Ted pops in to watch with me, pausing the video to underscore a particularly dramatic moment: “See how she’s working around the vase? That’s an accident waiting to happen. ”
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
That defiance underscores the central gamble of Washington’s strategy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
This underscores the absurdity of labeling fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction in the first place.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
And that efficiency underscores the opportunity for long-term investors when the housing market perks up.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
"However, this case underscores the importance of vigilance, strong partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and the proactive steps taken to identify and investigate suspicious activity before it can escalate."
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
In that sense, the Terman study underscores the argument Annette Lareau makes, that what your parents do for a living, and the assumptions that accompany the class your parents belong to, matter.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
The heightened nervousness was underscored by security guards blocking photographers and videojournalists from entering the hospital.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
In recent days, rising long-term government borrowing costs—and a sudden reversal Wednesday after the Treasury announced plans to buy back more long-term debt—have underscored the stakes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
But the coordinated attacks also underscored the vulnerability of the United States’ water facilities, prompting some obvious questions as to what the federal government has been doing, is presently doing, and perhaps should be doing.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
The fatal accident underscored just how narrow the distance between traffic and the cliff’s edge has become and marks the latest driving incident associated with steep roads in Santa Cruz County.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
The Capitol seal appears, underscored by the anthem.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
California’s latest victim of a deadly rattlesnake bite has emerged, and it’s not a human but a black jaguar living in a Central Valley sanctuary, underscoring the dangers of rattlesnake poisonings this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Most of the porcelain was made for the European market, underscoring a subtext of cross-fertilization, already stated by Islamic ceramics imitating Chinese blue and white.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
The company's data centre division alone generated $89bn last quarter, up 117% from a year ago, underscoring just how much of the industry now depends on Nvidia's hardware.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The full S&P 500’s forward P/E has declined to 20 from 22.2 at the end of 2025, underscoring how this bull market has been driven by profit increases.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
But we were reaffirming and underscoring those original concerns, many of which had gone by the wayside.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
