Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense underlines, present participle underlining, past tense, past participle underlined
1. verb
If one thing, for example an action or an event, underlines another, it draws attention to it and emphasizes its importance.
The report underlined his concern that standards were at risk. [VERB noun]
The decision to keep him in hospital underlines the seriousness of his injury. [VERB noun]
But the incident underlines how easily things can go wrong. [VERB wh]
[Also VERB that]
Synonyms: emphasize, stress, highlight, bring home More Synonyms of underline
2. verb
If you underline something such as a word or a sentence, you draw a line underneath it in order to make people notice it or to give it extra importance.
Underline the following that apply to you. [VERB noun]
Take two coloured pens and underline the positive and negative words. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: underscore, mark, italicize, rule a line under More Synonyms of underline
underline in British English
verb (ˌʌndəˈlaɪn)(transitive)
1.
to put a line under
2.
to state forcibly; emphasize or reinforce
noun (ˈʌndəˌlaɪn)
3.
a line underneath, esp under written matter
underline in American English
(ˈʌndərˌlaɪn; also, for v., ˌ ʌndərˈlaɪn)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈunderˌlined or ˈunderˌlining
1.
to draw a line beneath; underscore
2.
to stress or emphasize
noun
3.
a line underneath, as an underscore
Examples of 'underline' in a sentence
underline
It also underlines the urgency of finding treatments.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Just to underline this, temperatures rose sharply last week.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That stat alone underlines just how a successful stint farmed out in the lower leagues can put a player on the path to international stardom.
The Sun (2016)
New Savills research also underlines the north-south divide.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The bald facts of Australia's results underline the extent to which they have returned to earth with a bump.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This underlines the scale of the challenge for the new leader.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The latter sentiment underlines just how big a threat international races are to the domestic programme.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
That underlines the importance of the remaining historic seat.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The census also underlines the ageing population.
The Sun (2012)
These cases underline how minor incidents are being recorded as crime in a drive to improve statistics.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
To underline the extent of his popular backing for future diplomatic negotiations.
Wright, Vincent The Government and Politics of France (1989)
It once again underlines the need for new funding if services are to be maintained.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Luck is a name underlined in red.
The Sun (2012)
The unpredictability of the final results underlined the concerns about changes to the sport.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Figures released this week underline the scale of that task.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It just underlines the humanity of the person!
Pearson, Althea Growing Through Loss and Grief (1994)
He argues that the move underlines the importance of continuing his austerity programme.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The affair also underlines the importance of transparency.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This underlines the extent of public feeling.
The Sun (2011)
The investigations will underline concerns about safeguards on postal voting.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
But the music only served to underline just how poor the team are defensively.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
And it also underlines one of the truly melancholy trends of our times.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Canadian researchers said that their model underlined the importance of screening passengers as they left countries with ebola.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The incident underlines the delicacy of the political situation in Burma.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The Government said that the judgment underlined the need for the directive to be reviewed.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
There's been a lot of red underlining in the diary.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The figures underlined the scale of the recent increases in utility bills, which have stunned consumers.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
I recall witnessing two very different incidents which underlined that fact.
Coyle, Andrew & Stern, Vivien The Prisons We Deserve (1994)
The need for action is underlined by the publication yesterday of a highly critical capability review, an external assessment into how the department is run.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
underline
British English: underline /ˌʌndəˈlaɪn/ VERB
emphasize If a person or event underlines something, they draw attention to it and emphasize its importance.
The war underlined the importance of science and technology.
American English: underline
Arabic: يُبْرِزُ
Brazilian Portuguese: sublinhar
Chinese: 强调
Croatian: podvući
Czech: zdůraznit
Danish: understrege
Dutch: onderstrepen
European Spanish: subrayar
Finnish: alleviivata
French: souligner avec stylo
German: unterstreichen
Greek: υπογραμμίζω
Italian: sottolineare
Japanese: 下線を引く
Korean: 밑줄을 긋다
Norwegian: understreke
Polish: podkreślić
European Portuguese: sublinhar
Romanian: a sublinia
Russian: подчеркивать
Latin American Spanish: subrayar
Swedish: understryka
Thai: เน้น
Turkish: altını çizmek
Ukrainian: підкреслювати
Vietnamese: nhấn mạnh
British English: underline VERB
with pen If you underline something such as a word or a sentence, you draw a line underneath it in order to make people notice it or to give it extra importance.