Word
underscore
Meanings
To emphasize something and show that it is important.
To provide background music for a film, play, or scene to support the mood.
Definition
To underscore something is to emphasize it or make its importance clear.
To underscore means to emphasize a point, fact, or idea so that people notice it and understand it as important. In writing or speech, you underscore something by repeating it, highlighting it, or giving it extra attention. It can also mean to add music underneath a scene to support the mood.
Examples
- The report will underscore the need for better safety rules.
- Her calm voice seemed to underscore how serious the situation was.
- The coach used the loss to underscore the importance of practice.
- Soft music underscored the final scene of the movie.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use underscore when they mean understate, but underscore means to emphasize, not to make something seem less important.
More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.