punctuate

verb

ˈpəŋk-chə-ˌwāt How to pronounce punctuate (audio)
Definition of punctuatenext
as in to emphasize
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on punctuated each and every word of his denial with a pound of his fist on the table

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of punctuate Roughly every 76 years, Halley punctuates history like an exclamation mark in the night sky. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Ohtani punctuated the series by swatting three solo homers and striking out 10 over six shutout innings in Game 4. — ABC News, 10 Oct. 2026 At Roberto Cavalli, makeup artist Yadim had the same inclination for highly pigmented metallic shades, a choice that punctuated key looks also at Jil Sander. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 The tragedy punctuated what was supposed to be Valdes’ 28th birthday celebration. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for punctuate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punctuate
  1. emphasize
  2. highlight
  3. stress
  4. feature
Verb
  • Google’s November 13, 2025 holiday shopping update began rolling out agentic checkout and emphasized the scale of its Shopping Graph, with more than 50 billion product listings and 2 billion refreshed every hour.
    — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The collectibles industry, once a niche hobby, has boomed since the pandemic with the help of marketing that emphasizes huge potential monetary wins.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of emphasize
Verb
  • Moncler highlighted the trailblazing careers and unique legacies of these artists.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The video also serves as a recruitment effort, highlighting the technical work involved in building and maintaining Atlas.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of highlight
Verb
  • Beskrestnov stressed that it is not used on Russian territory and that Starshield provides no service to Ukrainian drones used to attack oil refineries there.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Jill Lindsey, an advocate for the Old National community, stressed that both resident homeowners and independent investors are taking devastating financial losses.
    — La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of stress
Verb
  • The 2026 edition featured a programme made up of 60% world premieres, which played out in four venues across the city, and boasted a 35% increase in admissions on 2025.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The store houses Smythson’s full selection, and also features a dedicated bespoke stationery salon, the only one outside of London, where customers can book a one-on-one appointment with a stationery specialist.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of feature

Browse Nearby Words

punctually
punctuate
punctuated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Punctuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctuate. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All