how to highlight

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "how to highlight" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing methods or techniques for emphasizing or drawing attention to something. For example, "In this tutorial, I will show you how to highlight important information in your presentation." Alternative expressions include "how to emphasize" and "how to underscore."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

"Her features are rather unconventional, but she knows how to highlight them to her best advantage," Philips says.

The New York Times

No, you can become someone if you are committed, know how to value [your] own talent, know how to highlight it, and cultivate it.

The Guardian

Greenburg said he had been examining how to highlight rivalries in other sports that would give the series a beginning, middle and end.

The New York Times - Sports

He also knows how to highlight small but distinct performances, like those by Jennifer Irwin as the simpering gofer Carol and Michael Rosenbaum as Dutch, a domesticated Mad Max with a sentimental streak who's the inappropriate boyfriend of the office hottie.

The New York Times - Arts

Zou et al. [35] show how to highlight and clean an image with a crack.

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

10 42 — Zuck demonstrates how to highlight stories with a picture of him and his girlfriend Priscilla.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

41 human-written examples

In her presidential runs, Mrs. Clinton has at times struggled with how, and how often, to highlight her gender.

The New York Times

How callous to highlight Michelle Wie's failure to qualify for the United States Open with a huge photo on the front page of the newspaper (June 6), and hence highlight the inability of women to compete athletically with men.

The New York Times

How better to highlight its international appeal than with an international spotlight?

TechCrunch

How else to highlight a generation of kids craving to be cool then to replicate it to the most satirical degree?

Huffington Post

As you plan out your look, make sure that you think about what your best features are and think about how best to highlight them.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In figurative contexts, pair the phrase with abstract nouns like 'strengths', 'differences', or 'rivalries' to signal strategic emphasis.

Common error

Avoid using "how to highlight" when the intended action is actually to explain or clarify. For instance, if you are analyzing a deep cause, "how to examine" or "how to elucidate" might be more precise than merely highlighting it.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how to highlight" serves as a relative clause or an infinitive phrase acting as a noun. In the corpus analyzed by Ludwig, it frequently functions as a direct object, often following verbs like 'know', 'learn', or 'decide'. Ludwig AI confirms that this construction is standard for introducing methods or procedures.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Wiki

25%

Science

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Academia

2%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

Based on the comprehensive data provided by Ludwig, "how to highlight" is a versatile and correct English phrase that is ubiquitous in professional writing. It is particularly effective for describing the process of bringing attention to specific elements, such as features, data points, or social issues. High-tier sources like The New York Times and The Guardian use it frequently to discuss everything from political strategy to cosmetics. While "how to emphasize" or "how to underscore" might be preferred in strictly academic or highly formal settings, "how to highlight" remains the most natural choice for general instructional and descriptive contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

how to emphasize

Shifts the focus toward the intellectual or abstract importance of a point

how to underscore

A slightly more formal and literary way to suggest drawing attention to something

how to draw attention to

A more descriptive and direct verbal construction

how to spotlight

Implies a more intense or singular focus on a specific feature

how to showcase

Suggests a positive presentation or display of features or talents

how to point out

Focuses on the act of identifying or mentioning something specific

how to stress

Highlights the urgency or critical nature of a specific piece of information

how to feature

Common in design or journalism to indicate giving something a prominent position

how to accent

Often used in aesthetics, such as makeup or interior design, to denote subtle emphasis

how to illuminate

A more metaphorical choice that suggests bringing clarity or light to a topic

FAQs

How to use "how to highlight" in a sentence?

You can use it as an object of a verb, such as in "She knows how to highlight her best features" or as a subject in instructional guides like "Learn how to highlight text in a PDF".

What can I say instead of "how to highlight"?

Depending on your context, you could use "how to emphasize" for abstract points, "how to underscore" for more formality, or "how to draw attention to" for general use.

Which is better: "how to highlight" or "how to emphasize"?

Both are correct. "how to highlight" often implies a visual or prominent display, while "how to emphasize" is more common when discussing the weight of an argument or the importance of a concept.

What is the difference between "how to highlight" and "how to underline"?

While often interchangeable in digital contexts, "how to underline" is more specific to the physical act of drawing a line under text, whereas "how to highlight" can refer to using color or figurative emphasis.