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:
Payne said the Brampton factory represents an important moment for Canada, because it will underscore whether business leaders, workers and government officials are willing to save the country’s auto sector.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The findings underscore how strongly short-term weather events can influence the condition of Arctic sea ice.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
“These findings underscore the difficulty of making an initial enrollment decision in Medicare,” the study said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
According to analysts, Cairo will use the summit to underscore its strategic autonomy, showing it can leverage its close ties with both Washington and Beijing.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
What activities could you do with them to underscore the idea of the soundscape?
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Historically, underscores hasn’t written much about her personal life, opting for conceptual work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
But experts said ProPublica’s data analysis, along with stories about delays in ectopic care, underscores the need to find out what is driving the deaths.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
That divergence underscores where the market is tightest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
"This investment underscores Google's commitment to grow our presence responsibly, pairing the expansion of our technical infrastructure with new energy capacity, grid enhancements, and energy affordability initiatives," she added.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 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
More recent cases have underscored just how complicated the situation can become.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
Ahead of the meeting, rhetoric from Washington and Beijing has underscored only deepening acrimony and distrust over their rush to dominate the technological frontier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Policymakers also underscored the need to stay vigilant to the potential spillover of the semiconductor boom into inflation via the wealth effect as wages go up and consumers spend more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The heightened nervousness was underscored by security guards blocking photographers and videojournalists from entering the hospital.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
One line was underscored several times: “The knowledge will change him.”
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
The review's authors raised concerns about possible metabolic effects, underscoring that questions about appetite and glucose regulation are distinct from the original claim about DNA damage.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
That’s a staggering plunge from its $1.2 billion valuation a decade ago, underscoring the steep challenges facing brick-and-mortar retail even as AI investment drives a local renaissance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Americans are abandoning the belief that smarts and effort are the best ways to get ahead in life, according to new research, underscoring the pessimism many people have about their chances at financial success.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
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
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.
