This is the 4351st most frequent Portuguese word.
apontaram
"Apontaram" means "they pointed" or "they pointed out" in English.
Here, 'apontaram' means 'pointed out' and is used to indicate that the students mentioned or highlighted the importance of something.
Os alunos apontaram a importância da leitura durante a discussão.
The students pointed out the importance of reading during the discussion.
In this case, 'apontaram' means 'pointed to' and is used to indicate that the witnesses identified or designated someone as responsible.
Após o acidente, muitas testemunhas apontaram o motorista como culpado.
After the accident, many witnesses pointed to the driver as guilty.
Here, 'apontaram' means 'pointed to' in a physical sense, indicating the action of directing a gesture towards something.