55 Alternatives for Another Word For Emphasize in Writing

When you emphasize something, you give it particular importance or draw attention to it. If you are looking for another word for emphasize, strong choices include highlight, stress, underscore, and accentuate. Each can work in the right sentence, but they do not always mean exactly the same thing.

For example, you might stress the importance of a deadline, highlight a finding in a report, or accentuate a feature with color. Other alternatives, such as reiterate and amplify, describe ways to make a point more noticeable, but they add meanings that “emphasize” does not necessarily carry.

This guide explains 55 synonyms and related alternatives, with examples and usage notes. You’ll also learn which words suit academic writing, professional communication, speeches, and visual descriptions—and which ones require a change in sentence structure.

Best Synonyms for Emphasize at a Glance

Stress, highlight, and underscore are often the closest choices. The best replacement still depends on whether you are discussing a spoken point, a written argument, a visual feature, or the importance assigned to a factor.

What Does Emphasize Mean?

Emphasize is a verb that means to give special importance or attention to something. It can describe what a person says, how a writer presents information, or how a design makes a feature more noticeable.

In American English, the usual spelling is emphasize. Emphasise is a common British English spelling.

The word has several closely connected uses:

• To stress an idea: “The teacher emphasized the need to cite reliable sources.”
• To draw attention to a detail: “The report emphasizes the differences between the two plans.”
• To make a feature stand out: “The lighting emphasizes the texture of the stone.”

Notice that emphasizing something does not necessarily mean repeating it. A speaker can emphasize a point once through word choice, tone of voice, or its position in a sentence.

Pronunciation and Word Information

• Pronunciation: EM-fuh-size
• Syllables: Three
• Part of speech: Verb
• Base form: emphasize
• Past tense and past participle: emphasized
• Present participle: emphasizing
• Third-person singular: emphasizes

A common sentence pattern is emphasize something:

The guide emphasizes practical examples.

You can also use a that-clause:

The guide emphasizes that context matters.

Word Family of Emphasize

Emphatic and emphatically often suggest a forceful or unmistakable manner. They are related to emphasize, but they are not substitutes for every form of the word.

Connotation and Tone of Emphasize

Emphasize is generally neutral and works in both everyday and formal English. It does not automatically imply that a speaker is angry, forceful, or repetitive.

Its alternatives can carry different impressions:

• Stress can sound more urgent, especially in a warning.
• Highlight often sounds constructive and is common in reports and presentations.
• Underscore is slightly more formal and frequently connects evidence with a conclusion.
• Accentuate often describes making a visible or distinctive feature stand out.
• Insist on can sound forceful and may suggest a demand.

The surrounding sentence determines whether the emphasis feels positive, negative, or neutral.

Synonyms for Emphasize by Context

For General Writing and Conversation

Use stress, highlight, or draw attention to when you want to make a point noticeable or important. These are widely understood and suit most audiences.

“The article highlights the benefits of regular practice.”

For Academic and Professional Writing

Use underscore, give weight to, or place emphasis on when discussing evidence, priorities, or conclusions. Choose demonstrate or illustrate only when you also mean that the evidence shows or explains something.

“The findings underscore the need for further research.”

For Speeches and Persuasive Arguments

Use make a point of, drive home, or hammer home when the manner of delivery matters. The last two suggest stronger, often repeated emphasis.

“The speaker drove home the importance of preparation.”

For Appearance and Design

Use accentuate, bring out, or set off when a color, shape, or design makes a feature more noticeable.

“The dark frame sets off the pale artwork.”

For Repeated or Strengthened Messages

Use reiterate or repeat when something is said again. Use reinforce when an action or statement strengthens an existing point. These words add information beyond the basic meaning of emphasize.

55 Synonyms and Alternatives for Emphasize

The following collection includes close synonyms, contextual alternatives, and related expressions. The labels explain how directly each item can replace emphasize.

1. Stress

Meaning: To give special importance to a point.

Best used for: Priorities, warnings, instructions, and arguments.

Example: “The manager stressed the importance of meeting the deadline.”

Nuance: A close synonym that can suggest urgency, although it does not always do so.

Relationship: Very close.

2. Highlight

Meaning: To draw particular attention to something.

Best used for: Findings, features, achievements, and problems.

Example: “The report highlights three areas that need improvement.”

Nuance: Often focuses on making information noticeable to an audience.

Relationship: Very close.

3. Underscore

Meaning: To emphasize or reinforce the importance of something.

Best used for: Evidence, conclusions, and formal arguments.

Example: “The survey results underscore the need for better communication.”

Nuance: Often suggests that facts or events make a point especially clear.

Relationship: Very close.

4. Accentuate

Meaning: To make a feature more noticeable or distinctive.

Best used for: Appearance, design, differences, and qualities.

Example: “The lighting accentuates the curves of the sculpture.”

Nuance: Particularly natural for visible features; less natural for a routine instruction.

Relationship: Close.

5. Give Prominence To

Meaning: To make something especially noticeable or important.

Best used for: How a topic, story, or detail is presented.

Example: “The newspaper gave prominence to the local election results.”

Nuance: Often describes placement or presentation rather than forceful speech.

Relationship: Close.

6. Place Emphasis On

Meaning: To give special importance to something.

Best used for: Priorities in education, policy, work, or discussion.

Example: “The program places emphasis on practical skills.”

Nuance: A noun-based phrase that is close in meaning to emphasize.

Relationship: Very close.

7. Put Emphasis On

Meaning: To give something particular attention or importance.

Best used for: Everyday descriptions of priorities.

Example: “The trainer puts emphasis on proper technique.”

Nuance: Similar to place emphasis on, with a slightly more conversational feel.

Relationship: Very close.

8. Lay Emphasis On

Meaning: To give something special importance.

Best used for: Formal writing or discussion.

Example: “The policy lays emphasis on equal access.”

Nuance: Correct but less common in everyday American English than emphasize or stress.

Relationship: Very close.

9. Give Emphasis To

Meaning: To make something more prominent or important.

Best used for: Formal descriptions of speech, writing, or presentation.

Example: “The final paragraph gives emphasis to the author’s main concern.”

Nuance: A direct alternative, though the shorter verb emphasizes is often more natural.

Relationship: Very close.

10. Draw Attention To

Meaning: To make people notice something.

Best used for: Issues, details, mistakes, and overlooked information.

Example: “The editor drew attention to an inconsistency in the article.”

Nuance: Something can attract attention without being presented as especially important.

Relationship: Close.

11. Call Attention To

Meaning: To direct someone’s notice toward something.

Best used for: Concerns, details, or information an audience may have missed.

Example: “The notice calls attention to changes in the schedule.”

Nuance: Often used when pointing out something specific.

Relationship: Close.

12. Point Up

Meaning: To make a fact or problem noticeable.

Best used for: Differences, weaknesses, and consequences.

Example: “The incident pointed up weaknesses in the emergency plan.”

Nuance: Often suggests that an event reveals a problem rather than that a person deliberately stresses it.

Relationship: Contextual.

13. Spotlight

Meaning: To focus public or special attention on something.

Best used for: People, projects, issues, and achievements.

Example: “The campaign spotlights the work of local volunteers.”

Nuance: Can suggest public visibility or focused coverage.

Relationship: Close.

14. Feature

Meaning: To give something a prominent place in a presentation or publication.

Best used for: Stories, products, people, and visual content.

Example: “The homepage features the company’s newest collection.”

Nuance: Feature implies inclusion or prominent presentation, not necessarily verbal emphasis.

Relationship: Contextual.

15. Bring Out

Meaning: To make a quality easier to notice or appreciate.

Best used for: Flavors, colors, qualities, and meanings.

Example: “The warm lighting brings out the wood’s natural color.”

Nuance: Often suggests revealing a quality that is already present.

Relationship: Contextual.

16. Play Up

Meaning: To emphasize something, sometimes more than its importance warrants.

Best used for: Promoting a feature or making a detail seem significant.

Example: “The advertisement plays up the phone’s camera.”

Nuance: Informal and can imply exaggeration, depending on context.

Relationship: Close, informal.

17. Make Much Of

Meaning: To give considerable attention or importance to something.

Best used for: Describing how people react to a detail or event.

Example: “The commentators made much of the team’s early lead.”

Nuance: Can imply that the attention is excessive or unnecessary.

Relationship: Contextual.

18. Make a Point Of

Meaning: To deliberately ensure that something is done or mentioned.

Best used for: Intentional actions or deliberate attention.

Example: “She made a point of thanking every volunteer.”

Nuance: It emphasizes deliberate effort, not simply importance.

Relationship: Contextual.

19. Point Out

Meaning: To direct attention to a fact or detail.

Best used for: Observations, corrections, and useful information.

Example: “The reviewer pointed out a gap in the argument.”

Nuance: A person can point something out briefly without emphasizing it.

Relationship: Contextual.

20. Note

Meaning: To mention or observe something.

Best used for: Reports, comments, and concise observations.

Example: “The researcher noted a difference between the two groups.”

Nuance: Usually weaker than emphasize; it does not imply special importance.

Relationship: Related, not exact.

21. Mention

Meaning: To refer to something briefly.

Best used for: Introducing a detail without necessarily discussing it at length.

Example: “The speaker mentioned the upcoming deadline.”

Nuance: Mentioning a point does not mean stressing it.

Relationship: Related, not exact.

22. Refer To

Meaning: To mention or direct a reader’s attention to something.

Best used for: Connecting a discussion to a source, event, or idea.

Example: “The author refers to an earlier study.”

Nuance: A reference may be brief and does not necessarily give special weight to the subject.

Relationship: Related, not exact.

23. Identify

Meaning: To name or recognize something.

Best used for: Specifying a problem, cause, or key factor.

Example: “The report identifies cost as a major concern.”

Nuance: Naming a concern as major gives it importance; identify alone does not mean emphasize.

Relationship: Contextual.

24. Single Out

Meaning: To select one person or thing for particular attention.

Best used for: Recognizing a specific feature, example, or individual.

Example: “The judge singled out the design for its originality.”

Nuance: Focuses on selection from a group and can be positive or negative.

Relationship: Contextual.

25. Focus On

Meaning: To direct attention or effort toward something.

Best used for: A central subject, task, or concern.

Example: “The lesson focuses on sentence structure.”

Nuance: Describes the main subject of attention, not necessarily a point being stressed.

Relationship: Contextual.

26. Concentrate On

Meaning: To direct sustained attention toward something.

Best used for: Tasks, subjects, and areas of study.

Example: “The workshop concentrates on practical writing skills.”

Nuance: Suggests sustained attention and may describe an activity rather than a statement.

Relationship: Contextual.

27. Center On

Meaning: To have something as a main subject or concern.

Best used for: Discussions, stories, and arguments.

Example: “The debate centered on the cost of the proposal.”

Nuance: Identifies the central topic; it does not necessarily imply that someone emphasized a particular point.

Relationship: Contextual.

28. Give Priority To

Meaning: To treat something as more important or urgent than other things.

Best used for: Decisions, plans, and allocation of resources.

Example: “The organization gives priority to customer safety.”

Nuance: Implies ranking or preferential treatment, which emphasize does not always mean.

Relationship: Contextual.

29. Prioritize

Meaning: To treat something as a priority.

Best used for: Actions, decisions, goals, and limited resources.

Example: “The team prioritized accessibility during the redesign.”

Nuance: Emphasizing accessibility in a speech is not the same as prioritizing it in decisions.

Relationship: Contextual.

30. Give Weight To

Meaning: To regard something as important when forming a judgment or making a decision.

Best used for: Evidence, opinions, and relevant factors.

Example: “The committee gave weight to the residents’ concerns.”

Nuance: Refers to influence on a judgment, not simply attention in a presentation.

Relationship: Contextual.

31. Attach Importance To

Meaning: To consider something significant.

Best used for: Values, priorities, and decision-making.

Example: “The company attaches importance to customer feedback.”

Nuance: Someone can consider something important without publicly emphasizing it.

Relationship: Contextual.

32. Place Weight On

Meaning: To treat a factor as influential or significant.

Best used for: Evaluations, evidence, and decisions.

Example: “The panel placed considerable weight on relevant experience.”

Nuance: Common when discussing how a decision was reached.

Relationship: Contextual.

33. Reinforce

Meaning: To strengthen an idea, message, or impression.

Best used for: Supporting an existing point through evidence, action, or repetition.

Example: “The case study reinforces the report’s central argument.”

Nuance: Adds the idea of strengthening something that is already present.

Relationship: Contextual.

34. Reiterate

Meaning: To say something again.

Best used for: Repeating an instruction, position, or key message.

Example: “The supervisor reiterated the safety rules before work began.”

Nuance: Repetition may create emphasis, but reiterate specifically means saying something again.

Relationship: Related, not exact.

35. Repeat

Meaning: To say or do something again.

Best used for: Information that has already been stated.

Example: “The instructor repeated the question.”

Nuance: Repetition can emphasize a message, but it can also happen simply because someone did not hear it.

Relationship: Related, not exact.

36. Restate

Meaning: To express something again, often in a different way.

Best used for: Clarifying or revisiting a position or argument.

Example: “The chair restated the proposal in simpler terms.”

Nuance: Focuses on expressing an idea again, not necessarily making it more important.

Relationship: Related, not exact.

37. Reaffirm

Meaning: To state again that a belief, commitment, or position remains firm.

Best used for: Promises, policies, support, and commitments.

Example: “The organization reaffirmed its commitment to accessibility.”

Nuance: Suggests renewed confirmation, not just emphasis.

Relationship: Contextual.

38. Drive Home

Meaning: To make a point clearly and forcefully.

Best used for: Persuasive speeches, warnings, and lessons.

Example: “The exercise drove home the importance of careful planning.”

Nuance: Stronger and more idiomatic than emphasize; it often suggests a lasting impression.

Relationship: Close in forceful contexts.

39. Hammer Home

Meaning: To emphasize a point forcefully, often through repetition.

Best used for: Strong warnings or persuasive messages.

Example: “The coach hammered home the need to communicate.”

Nuance: Can sound forceful or excessive, depending on context.

Relationship: Close in forceful contexts.

40. Drum Into

Meaning: To teach or impress an idea through repeated instruction.

Best used for: Lessons, rules, and habits.

Example: “The instructor drummed the safety procedure into the trainees.”

Nuance: More informal than emphasize and strongly implies repetition.

Relationship: Contextual.

41. Impress Upon

Meaning: To make someone understand the importance of something.

Best used for: Advice, responsibilities, and serious concerns.

Example: “The doctor impressed upon him the need to rest.”

Nuance: Usually takes a person as its object: impress something upon someone or impress upon someone the need for something.

Relationship: Close in instructional contexts.

42. Insist On

Meaning: To demand something firmly or maintain a point strongly.

Best used for: Requirements, demands, and firmly held positions.

Example: “The supervisor insisted on a second safety check.”

Nuance: Stronger than emphasize and may imply a demand or refusal to compromise.

Relationship: Contextual.

43. Urge

Meaning: To strongly encourage an action.

Best used for: Recommendations, appeals, and calls to act.

Example: “Officials urged residents to follow the safety guidance.”

Nuance: Emphasizing a guideline does not necessarily mean urging someone to follow it.

Relationship: Contextual.

44. Advocate

Meaning: To publicly support or recommend a course of action.

Best used for: Policies, changes, and proposals.

Example: “The group advocates greater investment in public libraries.”

Nuance: A person can emphasize a policy without supporting it; advocate implies support.

Relationship: Related, not exact.

45. Promote

Meaning: To encourage, support, or publicize something.

Best used for: Ideas, products, causes, and initiatives.

Example: “The campaign promotes healthier travel choices.”

Nuance: Goes beyond emphasizing a point because it implies active support or publicity.

Relationship: Contextual.

46. Champion

Meaning: To strongly support or defend a cause or idea.

Best used for: Values, proposals, and people receiving public support.

Example: “The director champions flexible working arrangements.”

Nuance: Suggests committed advocacy, not simply drawing attention to a subject.

Relationship: Related, not exact.

47. Amplify

Meaning: To make something stronger, louder, or more widely heard.

Best used for: Voices, messages, effects, and signals.

Example: “The campaign amplified the concerns of local residents.”

Nuance: Suggests increasing reach or intensity rather than merely stressing importance.

Relationship: Contextual.

48. Magnify

Meaning: To make something appear larger or more significant.

Best used for: Effects, flaws, images, and perceptions.

Example: “The close-up magnifies the tiny details in the fabric.”

Nuance: Can imply distortion or exaggeration when used figuratively.

Relationship: Contextual.

49. Heighten

Meaning: To increase the intensity or degree of something.

Best used for: Tension, awareness, contrast, and emotional effects.

Example: “The music heightens the tension in the scene.”

Nuance: Often changes the strength of an effect rather than directing attention to a point.

Relationship: Contextual.

50. Intensify

Meaning: To make something stronger or more extreme.

Best used for: Feelings, activity, effects, and conditions.

Example: “The darker colors intensify the dramatic effect.”

Nuance: Emphasizing a feature makes it more noticeable; intensifying it makes it stronger.

Relationship: Contextual.

51. Exaggerate

Meaning: To represent something as greater or more extreme than it really is.

Best used for: Describing overstatement or deliberate comic effect.

Example: “The advertisement exaggerates the product’s benefits.”

Nuance: Carries an implication of distortion that emphasize does not.

Relationship: Related, not exact.

52. Set Off

Meaning: To make something look more attractive or noticeable through contrast.

Best used for: Colors, clothing, artwork, and decorative features.

Example: “The white border sets off the dark photograph.”

Nuance: Usually describes visual contrast rather than emphasis in speech.

Relationship: Contextual.

53. Showcase

Meaning: To present something so that its best or notable qualities are visible.

Best used for: Work, talent, products, and achievements.

Example: “The exhibition showcases the artist’s early paintings.”

Nuance: Implies presentation or display, often in a favorable way.

Relationship: Contextual.

54. Illustrate

Meaning: To make an idea clearer by giving an example or showing how it works.

Best used for: Explanations, examples, and evidence.

Example: “The case study illustrates the challenges of remote teamwork.”

Nuance: An example may emphasize a point, but illustrate specifically means to clarify or demonstrate it.

Relationship: Related, not exact.

55. Demonstrate

Meaning: To show that something is true or to show how something works.

Best used for: Evidence, results, and practical explanations.

Example: “The experiment demonstrates the effect of temperature on the material.”

Nuance: Showing evidence for a claim is different from simply emphasizing the claim.

Relationship: Related, not exact.

Closest, Contextual, and Related Alternatives

Synonyms by Strength or Intensity

Intensity depends on the sentence, the speaker, and the situation. These groupings are a guide rather than a fixed scale:

• Milder attention: mention, note, point out.
• Clear emphasis: highlight, stress, underscore, draw attention to.
• Stronger emphasis: drive home, impress upon, hammer home.
• Firm demand or appeal: insist on, urge.

The milder words do not always mean emphasize. They are useful when the original sentence actually calls for less force.

Formal and Informal Alternatives

Formal language is not automatically more accurate. In many business sentences, stress or highlight communicates the point more clearly than a longer phrase.

Emphasize vs Similar Words

Emphasize vs Highlight

Both can mean drawing special attention to something. Highlight often suggests making a detail easy to notice, while emphasize can also suggest assigning it importance.

“The summary highlights the main findings.”
“The summary emphasizes the need for action.”

The distinction is flexible, and either word may work in many contexts.

Emphasize vs Stress

These are often interchangeable when discussing importance:

“The teacher emphasized the deadline.”
“The teacher stressed the deadline.”

Stress can sound more urgent, especially in a warning, but the difference is not always significant.

Emphasize vs Underscore

Both can mean to make something’s importance clear. Underscore is particularly natural when evidence or an event reinforces a conclusion.

“The report emphasizes employee safety.”
“The recent incidents underscore the need for safer procedures.”

Emphasize vs Accentuate

Accentuate is especially useful when a feature becomes more noticeable through contrast, design, or appearance.

“The speaker emphasized the final point.”
“The jacket accentuates the shape of the dress.”

Emphasize vs Reiterate

To emphasize is to give something special importance. To reiterate is to say it again. A person may reiterate a point to emphasize it, but the two actions are not identical.

“She emphasized the rule once.”
“She reiterated the rule at the end of the meeting.”

Emphasize vs Exaggerate

Emphasize means to draw attention to something. Exaggerate means to represent it as greater or more extreme than it is.

“The article emphasizes the risks.”
“The article exaggerates the risks.”

The second sentence suggests the article is misleading or overstating the issue.

Words Related to Emphasize That Are Not Exact Synonyms

Some words appear near emphasize in thesauruses because they can occur in similar situations. They still carry distinct meanings:

• Mention: Refers to saying something; it may receive little attention.
• Reiterate: Requires a point to be stated again.
• Prioritize: Means to rank something as more important or urgent.
• Advocate: Means to support or recommend a cause or action.
• Demonstrate: Means to show or establish something, often with evidence.
• Exaggerate: Implies overstatement or distortion.

Check what actually happened before substituting one of these words. If a speaker mentioned a risk only once, for example, you should not say they reiterated it.

Common Collocations With Emphasize

A collocation is a combination of words that sounds natural to English speakers. Common combinations with emphasize include:

• Emphasize the importance of: “The guide emphasizes the importance of clear instructions.”
• Emphasize the need for: “The findings emphasize the need for further research.”
• Emphasize a point: “The speaker paused to emphasize her final point.”
• Emphasize a difference: “The comparison emphasizes the difference between cost and value.”
• Emphasize a feature: “The design emphasizes the building’s tall windows.”
• Strongly emphasize: “The instructor strongly emphasized the safety rules.”
• Emphasize that: “The author emphasizes that results may vary.”

Use emphasize the importance of when the sentence concerns why something matters. Use emphasize that before a complete clause.

Antonyms of Emphasize

The best opposite depends on whether you mean reducing attention, reducing apparent importance, or omitting something entirely.

• De-emphasize: Deliberately give something less importance. “The revision de-emphasizes minor details.”
• Downplay: Make something seem less important or serious. “The company downplayed the delay.”
• Understate: Describe something as less significant than it is. “The report understated the cost.”
• Minimize: Treat something as less important or serious. “The response minimized the customers’ concerns.”
• Overlook: Fail to notice or consider something. “The review overlooked a key detail.”
• Omit: Leave something out. “The summary omitted the final recommendation.”

De-emphasize is the most direct opposite when the intended meaning is to give something less emphasis. Overlook and omit are related contrasts, but they do not always imply a deliberate decision to reduce importance.

How to Choose the Right Synonym for Emphasize

Start by deciding what the sentence needs to say. Is someone stressing an idea, drawing attention to a detail, repeating a message, or making a feature more visible?

Choose Stress for an Important Instruction

Original: “The instructor emphasized the need to check the equipment.”

Alternative: “The instructor stressed the need to check the equipment.”

Why it works: Both versions give special importance to the instruction.

Choose Highlight for a Notable Finding

Original: “The report emphasizes several useful findings.”

Alternative: “The report highlights several useful findings.”

Why it works: Highlight naturally describes bringing findings to the reader’s attention.

Choose Underscore When Evidence Reinforces a Point

Original: “The results emphasize the need for better training.”

Alternative: “The results underscore the need for better training.”

Why it works: The results help make the need clear.

Choose Accentuate for a Visible Feature

Original: “The lighting emphasizes the texture of the wall.”

Alternative: “The lighting accentuates the texture of the wall.”

Why it works: Accentuate is natural when a physical feature becomes more noticeable.

Choose Reiterate Only for Repetition

Original: “The manager emphasized the policy.”

Alternative: “The manager reiterated the policy.”

Why the meaning changes: The second sentence tells readers that the manager stated the policy again. Use it only if that happened.

Common Mistakes When Using Emphasize Synonyms

Treating Every Mention as Emphasis

“Mentioned” may describe a passing reference. If the speaker gave the subject special importance, stressed or highlighted may be more accurate.

Using Reiterate Without Repetition

A person cannot reiterate a point unless it has been stated before. If it was their first mention, use emphasize, stress, or point out, depending on the intended meaning.

Replacing Emphasize With Prioritize Too Freely

A company might emphasize sustainability in an advertisement while giving other concerns higher priority in its decisions. Prioritize makes a stronger claim about choices and resources.

Using Exaggerate for Ordinary Emphasis

Emphasizing a benefit does not mean overstating it. Use exaggerate only when the description makes something seem greater than it really is.

Ignoring Sentence Structure

Some alternatives require different grammar:

• Emphasize: “She emphasized the need for rest.”
• Draw attention to: “She drew attention to the need for rest.”
• Impress upon: “She impressed upon him the need for rest.”

Changing the verb may require changing the preposition or word order.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The best another word for emphasize depends on what you want the reader to understand. Stress is a dependable choice for an important instruction, highlight works well for findings and features, and underscore often connects evidence to a significant conclusion. For appearance and design, accentuate, bring out, and set off can describe how a feature becomes more noticeable.

Other alternatives add specific meanings. Reiterate requires repetition, prioritize implies a ranking, and drive home suggests a forceful message. Before replacing emphasize, check the sentence’s context and grammar. A precise alternative should preserve both the writer’s intended meaning and the level of importance they want to convey.