UNDERLINE Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

underline

verb

ˈən-dər-ˌlīn

Definition of underline

as in to emphasize

to indicate the importance of by giving prominent display the dean's speech underlined some of the impressive accomplishments racked up by members of the graduation class

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 underline The experts underlined their point with data for 2023-2026, which highlighted 134 co-productions between European countries, led by France-Belgian co-pros. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 Those voices helped elevate the story beyond the devastating statistics that underline the crisis in South Africa. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026 And her Instagram post announcing the song featured exactly 12 exclamation points, possibly underlining its connection to her 12th album. — Bryan West, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 The Kremlin wants the vote to underline public support for the war in Ukraine and give a veneer of legitimacy to it. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for underline

Recent Examples of Synonyms for underline

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

Matt Schnaars, president of platform distribution and partnerships for NBCUniversal, reinforced Shapiro’s observations in a separate session.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
The audience response has reinforced interest in experiencing independent films on the big screen and helped inform ABFF’s expansion into theatrical distribution.

— Brent Lang, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of reinforce

Browse Nearby Words

underlies

underline

underlined

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of underline

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'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'?

Popular in Wordplay

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?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes