underline
Americanverb (used with object)
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to mark with a line or lines underneath; underscore.
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to indicate the importance of; emphasize, as by stressing or italicizing.
noun
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Printing. a caption under an illustration.
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a line drawn under something; an underscore.
verb
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to put a line under
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to state forcibly; emphasize or reinforce
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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underlinesimple
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underlinessimple
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have underlinedperfect
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has underlinedperfect
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am underliningprogressive
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are underliningprogressive
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is underliningprogressive
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have been underliningperfect progressive
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has been underliningperfect progressive
Past
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underlinedsimple
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had underlinedperfect
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was underliningprogressive
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were underliningprogressive
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had been underliningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of underline
Vocabulary lists containing underline
Language and Grammar - Introductory
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Language and Grammar - Middle School
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Reading: Informational - Introductory
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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:
"What Burnham's doing is really very different because he's trying to underline that things can be better, and government can still make a difference."
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
"This is something historic, we've had a border fence since 1908," says Juan Franco, the mayor of La Línea de la Concepción, who is keen to underline the local economic dependence on the British territory.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
That would be unprecedented in post-war Germany and would underline Merz's dire approval ratings.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
To underline his point, equity financing costs are roughly where they were during the global financial crisis.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
There were several large Gryffindor banners, faded scarlet and gold, just to underline his difference from all the rest of the Slytherin family.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
This move for Bamba underlines a marked shift in transfer strategy for Newcastle.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
"He offers energy, outstanding work rate and an exceptional range of passing. His improvement in recent years has been really impressive and underlines his desire to be the best player he can be," Viana said.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
And she underlines the fact that, when it comes to long-term care in the United States, only the relatively well-off have good choices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
But May’s exit also underlines the broader reality of college sports in the topsy-turvy 2020s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Geography, Mr. Black stands at the board, where he writes june 4 and underlines it.
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
As for the market, the news again underlined the progress Chinese AI labs have made relative to their American counterparts.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
A Paramount spokesperson told Variety that the company is "grateful for the Court’s swift order" and underlined that it "preserves the status quo while the Court considers the antitrust issues presented."
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
John “Jak” Raymond, a delegate candidate in Hancock County, also underlined how the county delegate electorate differs from the primary electorate.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Stokes' status as one of the best all-rounders to play Test cricket are underlined by a career haul of 7,273 runs and 252 wickets.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
The copy she slipped under the waistband of her jeans was old and dog-eared, the pages yellowed, with passages underlined in pencil.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
International investors are wagering that London-listed stocks trade at a discount, underlining the valuation gap between U.K. stocks and their international peers, Streeter writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Asia's representatives remain unbeaten and African nations have taken points from several higher-ranked opponents, underlining how difficult this World Cup has become for the traditional powers.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
He emerged with huge credit, underlining his credentials as an awkward, physical operator for any heavyweight.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
And it ensnares Artie in a web of secrecy, underlining how “blind we humans are … moving through life as though through shadows.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
Whether or not a child cheated on, say, the word completion test was not an iron-clad predictor of whether he or she would cheat on, say, the underlining ^4’s part of the speed test.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
