MEANING
1. To emphasize the importance of a point, fact, or conclusion.
2. To draw a line beneath a word or passage for emphasis or identification.
Use it for
Emphasize the importance of a finding or limitation.A natural academic verb for signaling why a result, contrast, or limitation matters.
Words that belong together
- underscore the importance
- underscore a limitation
- underscore a word
- evidence underscores
On the page
The contrasting interviews underscore how differently residents experienced the same policy.
The editor underscored the phrase that needed a source.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- underscore
- Past tense
- underscored
- Past participle
- underscored
- Present participle
- underscoring
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- underscore
- Present continuous
- am/is/are underscoring
- Present perfect
- have/has underscored
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been underscoring
- Past
- underscored
- Past continuous
- was/were underscoring
- Past perfect
- had underscored
- Past perfect continuous
- had been underscoring
- Future
- will underscore
- Future continuous
- will be underscoring
- Future perfect
- will have underscored
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been underscoring
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
In formal prose, use it for emphasis supported by the surrounding evidence; it does not itself strengthen weak evidence. Sense 2: The literal writing sense is distinct from the common figurative sense of emphasizing a point.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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