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
-
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:
Launched in 2019, the Taycan was supposed to underscore the Stuttgart-based group's embarkment on a major shift away from combustion engines.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
And your own conversations with colleagues, friends and family might underscore a difficult environment for people looking for work.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Fight choreography was made to look more like brawling, with Chau noting performers dialed back “strong shapes, motions and lines” into characters that are “a little bit more broken down” to underscore the noir aesthetic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
It draws heavily on news reports and what has so far been released from the Epstein files, but does underscore numerous hurdles the investigation has faced.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
To underscore her authority it is likely that Cleopatra arranged a stop at Memphis—the former capital where the pharaohs of ages past resided.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
But they’re having a moment and “Union County” underscores why some work as well as they do.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
And that efficiency underscores the opportunity for long-term investors when the housing market perks up.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
The substantial commitment underscores GM’s push to avoid a repeat of the severe shortages that have dogged the industry in recent years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The closeness of the race only underscores one of El-Sayed’s challenges going ahead: reuniting a fractured party after a bitter primary campaign.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
Roman's observation underscores how difficult it is for those of us preoccupied with the humdrum concerns of adulthood to recall how forcefully we were once buffeted by the passions and longings of youth.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
That music accompanies us from birth to death is underscored by the giant guitar-case-shaped casket, “For a Musician,” produced by Ghanaian artist Paa Joe in 2025.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Those results have underscored the material's potential for next-generation semiconductor systems.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
The new head coach underscored that it can be easy for impulse and emotion to take over, but uplifting one another and letting mistakes refine you rather than define you is integral to success.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
The hostility underscored a widening gulf between legacy networks and a growing ecosystem of independent digital outlets that many young Indians increasingly turn to for news.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
Valid or not, Mary Jane’s conspiracy theories underscored how invested the family was in Reggie’s mission, something he professed to want so badly himself.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
The yearly increase in the cost of materials for industrial construction surged to a postpandemic high of 5.3% in July, underscoring the immense push to build more data centers.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
Last year, the rate jumped to 63.1%, underscoring the role of internships as test drives for real jobs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Messages arrived from around the world, underscoring an impact that extended far beyond Southern California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Chinese companies are major players in the mining sector, underscoring Beijing's outsized economic influence in the country.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 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.
