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Underline vs Undermine - What's the difference?

underline | undermine |

In figuratively terms the difference between underline and undermine

is that underline is to emphasise or stress something while undermine is to weaken or work against; to hinder, sabotage.

As verbs the difference between underline and undermine

is that underline is to draw a line underneath something, especially to add emphasis; to underscore while undermine is to dig underneath (something), to make a passage or for destructive or military purposes; to sap.

As a noun underline

is a line placed underneath a piece of text in order to provide emphasis or (in electronic documents) to indicate that it should be viewed in italics or that it acts as a hyperlink.

As an adjective underline

is passing under a railway line.

underline

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A line placed underneath a piece of text in order to provide emphasis or (in electronic documents) to indicate that it should be viewed in italics or that it acts as a hyperlink.
  • The character .

    • Verb

    (underlin)
  • To draw a line underneath something, especially to add emphasis; to underscore
  • (figuratively) To emphasise or stress something
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=December 10 , author=Marc Higginson , title=Bolton 1 - 2 Aston Villa , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=The Midlanders will hope the victory will kickstart a campaign that looked to have hit the buffers, but the sense of trepidation enveloping the Reebok Stadium heading into the new year underlines the seriousness of the predicament facing Owen Coyle's men.}}
  • (obsolete) To influence secretly.
    • By mere chance in appearance, though underlined with a providence, they had a full light of the infanta. — Sir H. Wotton.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Passing under a railway line.
  • * 1950 , Leonora Fry, C. W. Huxtable, Get to know: British railways (page 26)
    • Just as it was sometimes necessary to lower the road to take it beneath an underline bridge, so in this case it might be necessary to raise it.

    See also

    * (wikipedia) (typography marks) ----

    undermine

    English

    Verb

    (undermin)
  • To dig underneath (something), to make a passage or for destructive or military purposes; to sap.
  • * 2009 , (Diarmaid MacCulloch), A History of Christianity , Penguin 2010, p. 312:
    • Martin, for instance, had on one occasion undermined a tree sacred to old gods, then stood in the path of its fall, but forced it to fall elsewhere by making the sign of the Cross.
  • (figuratively) To weaken or work against; to hinder, sabotage.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 19, author=Josh Halliday, work=the Guardian
    • , title= Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised? , passage=The growing use of social media to spread anger and dissent in the Arab world has been hailed by western governments as one of the chief justifications for a completely unfettered internet. The US is reportedly funding the secret rollout of technology in Iran in an effort to undermine internet censors in the country.}}

    Antonyms

    * undergird

    External links

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