Which sentence demonstrates correct hyphen usage for a prefix in a compound verb?

Which sentence demonstrates correct hyphen usage for a prefix in a compound verb?

• A. I'll need to blow dry my hair.
• B. I'll need to blow-dry my hair.
• C. I'll need to blowdry my hair.
• D. I'll need to blow dry, my hair.

Answer: (B)

When a prefix-like element is attached to a verb to form a single, specific action, a hyphen helps show that together they function as one unit. In the phrase blow-dry, the hyphen signals that the action is to dry hair by using a blow dryer, not two separate actions. Without the hyphen, blow dry can read as two independent verbs or as less clearly connected words, and merging them into one word without the baseline confusion isn’t standard for this usage. The punctuation in the other option is also incorrect for this context, and the non-hyphenated or mispunctuated forms obscure the intended meaning. So the hyphenated form is the clearest, most conventional choice for this compound verb.

When a prefix-like element is attached to a verb to form a single, specific action, a hyphen helps show that together they function as one unit. In the phrase blow-dry, the hyphen signals that the action is to dry hair by using a blow dryer, not two separate actions. Without the hyphen, blow dry can read as two independent verbs or as less clearly connected words, and merging them into one word without the baseline confusion isn’t standard for this usage. The punctuation in the other option is also incorrect for this context, and the non-hyphenated or mispunctuated forms obscure the intended meaning. So the hyphenated form is the clearest, most conventional choice for this compound verb.