1. A punctuation mark (—) that is as wide as the letter M, used to set off or emphasize a clause, phrase, or word in a sentence.
Usage: Also called an em dash or em rule.; Commonly used in formal and informal writing.; Longer than an endash (–) and a hyphen (-).

Examples

• She wanted to travel—but her job kept her in place.
• The recipe calls for three ingredients—flour, sugar, and butter.
• He was nervous about the presentation—very nervous, in fact.
• Use an emdash to create a dramatic pause in your writing.
• The emdash is longer than the hyphen or endash.