underscore something

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "underscore something" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to emphasize or highlight a particular point or idea in a discussion or text. Example: "The recent study underscores the importance of early intervention in childhood education."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

But these deals may underscore something graver: weak fundamentals.

The New York Times

"I think the prizes for men just underscore something already there for them," Lorrie Moore, the novelist and short-story writer, said.

The New York Times - Books

I would however underscore something Hadamard emphasizes with regard to this method– the knowledge of the problem (knowing the "shape of the puzzle pieces") and prior effort with regard to the problem are requirements for it to work.

Yale University

This isn't about the town of West, but the devastating fire and explosion there underscore something you might not have known: the vast majority of fire departments in Texas are staffed by volunteers.

The New York Times

Dr. Berg, who does salivary research at the University of Washington, said the new findings underscore something he has been telling his patients for years, that "saliva is your friend".

The New York Times

To better understand that key point, I need to underscore something Blanchard leaves out of his analysis (not a critique — this is outside the goal of his paper, which was to nail down the points above).

The Washington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

But the trip underscored something else: Obama really loves cheeseburgers.

The Washington Post

The encounter underscored something you forget when you're not here: how much Israelis and Palestinians are intertwined.

The New York Times

But this meeting underscored something else: While Francis has decidedly moved the church back toward the social justice Catholicism with which Obama connected as a young man, Francis's worldview is plainly not American.

The Washington Post

The rolling BOOM of the I.E.D. Daughtry underscores something crucial about the nature of sound and, by extension, of music: we listen not only with our ears but also with our body.

The New Yorker

This latest spectacular security-gate fiasco, which comes as legislation to increase airport security remains stuck in Congress, underscores something that I have been hearing, consistently and with increasingly intensity, from industry officials and security experts over the past six weeks.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair this phrase with abstract nouns such as 'importance', 'difficulty', 'need', 'tension' or 'complexity' for a sophisticated tone.

Common error

Avoid following the verb with a preposition like 'to' or 'on'. Because 'underscore' is a transitive verb, it should be followed directly by its object. For example, write 'it underscores the problem' rather than 'it underscores to the problem'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "underscore something" functions as a transitive verb phrase where 'underscore' acts as the head and 'something' serves as a placeholder for the direct object. In the sentences analyzed by Ludwig, it frequently occupies the main predicate position, often preceded by a subject that refers to a piece of evidence, a study or a recent event.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Academia

20%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Social Media

5%

Wiki

3%

Informal Conversation

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "underscore something" is a highly effective linguistic tool for providing emphasis and clarity in professional writing. As verified by Ludwig AI, it is most frequently used to link a new development to a broader truth or a significant underlying issue. Whether you are writing a journalistic piece for a major publication or a scholarly essay, this expression helps signal to your reader that a specific point carries extra weight. It is grammatically straightforward but rhetorically powerful, consistently appearing in the most authoritative English-language sources. When using it, remember to maintain its transitive nature and avoid unnecessary prepositions to keep your prose sharp and professional.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

highlight something

A versatile and very common synonym that works in almost any context.

emphasize something

Focuses more on the act of giving importance to a specific point.

underline something

The closest literal and figurative synonym, often used interchangeably.

stress something

Suggests a more forceful or repetitive insistence on a point.

call attention to something

A more descriptive and slightly wordier way to achieve the same effect.

accentuate something

Implies making a feature or detail more noticeable or prominent.

spotlight something

A more metaphorical and visual alternative common in media.

point up something

A phrasal verb alternative that specifically means to make something more manifest.

bring something to the fore

Suggests moving a topic from the background to the center of attention.

feature something

Common when a specific aspect is being presented as the main attraction.

FAQs

How do I use "underscore something" in a sentence?

You can use it to show that a fact makes something else more obvious. For example: 'The recent market crash serves to "underscore the instability" of the current economy'.

What can I say instead of "underscore something"?

Depending on your context, you can use common alternatives like "highlight something", "emphasize something" or "underline something".

Is "underscore something" too formal for an email?

Not necessarily. While it is common in professional and academic settings, it is perfectly acceptable in a business email to "underscore the importance" of a deadline or a specific task.

What is the difference between underscore and underline?

In a literal sense, an underscore is the symbol (_), while to underline is to draw a line under text. Figuratively, both "underscore something" and "underline something" are used to mean highlight or emphasize, though 'underscore' is slightly more frequent in modern American journalism.