underscore

[uhn-der-skawr, -skohr, uhn-der-skawr, -skohr, uhn-der-skawr, -skohr]

verb (used with object)

underscored, underscoring 

1. to mark with a line or lines underneath; underline, as for emphasis.

2. to stress; emphasize.

   The recent tragedy underscores the danger of disregarding safety rules.

noun

1. a line drawn beneath something written or printed.

2. music for a film soundtrack; background for a film or stage production.

underscore

verb

1. to draw or score a line or mark under

2. to stress or reinforce

noun

1. a line drawn under written matter

Word History and Origins

Origin of underscore¹

First recorded in 1765–75; under- + score

Example Sentences

Just two Big Tech stocks have accounted for more than a third of the S&P 500’s gains so far this year, underscoring how the market has become increasingly concentrated around major companies.

Read more on MarketWatch

"These findings underscore the need for routine monitoring and timely adjustment of therapy to maintain normal thyroid hormone levels throughout pregnancy."

Read more on Science Daily

The episode also underscores a broader contradiction in modern wellness culture, one where celebrities chase high-tech insights into their own health while simultaneously shaping how audiences interpret those results.

Read more on Salon

Miles’ case underscores a stark contradiction: people whose ancestors inhabited this land for millennia can still be treated as outsiders, illustrating how legal recognition and federal enforcement often fail to align in practice.

Read more on Salon

This imagery is underscored elsewhere in the show in works that overtly deal with the artist’s own health struggles and her cancer diagnosis.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accentuate 
• highlight 
• indicate 
• mark 
• stress